Neighbors frustrated with constant flooding in Buckingham

A community believes they may soon be underwater because of what they are calling a careless mistake.

The water on Buckingham Road has been sitting in yards for weeks and is creeping up to homes.

Neighbors are telling us there is a working drainage system in their community, but it’s blocked by a pile of dirt.

• RELATED: Buckingham residents push for solution to flooding

Michelle, a neighbor, took us on a drive to show us water ponding everywhere in her yard along Buckingham Road and her neighbors’ too.

She said rain during summer is common. Water sitting around in her yard for days, not so much.

She and her neighbors believe there’s a reason for the problem: construction next door.

Michelle said workers covered her culvert about a week ago. This water would typically drain.

“It’s now being funneled into our properties and our neighbors’ properties and flooding in our fields,” Michelle said.

Michelle told us the sitting water is stinking up the air and their lives.

“We can’t even mow the fields, so we’ve invested in having really good fields for the horses, and now it’s underwater. I have horses that are standing in water to graze, so we are having to buy more hay and keep them in,” she said.

She believes the water and wet, mushy grass will soon be an open invitation for mosquitos, gators, and all kinds of critters, but her biggest fear is Mother Nature.

“If we have one really good rainstorm, or God forbid, we got another hurricane, we’re just going to be [in] our barns, and our homes are all going to be flooded,” she said.

We reached out to Lee County to see if it plans to address the problem, and a spokesman told us he’s looking into the situation and will get back to us with more information.

Michelle’s hoping someone takes action and fast.