Collier County prepares as Tropical Storm Helene threatens more flooding

For people in Collier County, flooding is the main concern.

One North Naples resident sent WINK News videos from previous storms in his neighborhood, with all three storms bringing several feet of flooding.

This time, with Tropical Storm Helene, he’s not taking any chances.

WINK News Reporter Amy Galo spoke with him to find out more about his preparations.

This storm could be Mike Ross’s fifth flooding event in just two years.

His house sits along this canal and he said flooding isn’t a question of if, but how bad.

In the last two years, Ross’s home has flooded four times.

“Six months after we moved here, it was Hurricane Ian. We got like eight feet, and since then, we’ve had three more storms that flooded like two feet each, every time,” said Ross.

Idalia, Debby and everyone’s honorable mention, “That winter cold front storm that brought about 18 inches,” Ross said.

To say Ross is a pro would be an understatement.

“We’ve gotten smart with it. We take the doors off the hinges because every time they get wet, they swell up and they no longer work,” he said. “So it’s just a little thing you can do, you know, bring the couches upstairs and take the hot tub apart so it doesn’t get flooded again.”

And while being experienced brings down the nerves for some, it doesn’t make storms any less frustrating.

“It’s just going to be a pain in the neck and a lot of cleanup afterward,” Ross explained.

Which is exactly what Ross is preparing for as Helene approaches Florida.

“We know it’s going to flood. So the question is, how much? And at the end of the day, whether it’s two feet or five feet, it doesn’t make that much of a difference, because when it comes into the house, it’s going to wreck everything anyway,” he said.

We did see county crews out in parts of Naples on Tuesday clearing pipes and swails.

Neighbors hope that helps mitigate some of the usual flooding seen after big rain events.