Concerns over drainage issues in Port Charlotte

One community’s concern is about high water and flooding because of a poor drainage system in Port Charlotte.

In the past couple of days, several Gulf Cove neighbors have had their fair share of flooding, with water completely covering their yards and almost seeping into their homes.

Many of the folks we spoke to have these outfalls and culverts spread throughout the community, but most of them have grown out with weeds and grass in front of them, preventing proper drainage. This leads to roads around the community to flood easily with several inches to feet of rain.

Neighbors said they want something done fast before things get worse.

Along Mitchell Terrace and Blitman in the Gulf Cove community and over 10 other streets around Gulf Cove, when it rains, it floods.

Neighbors we spoke to told us they have an idea of why.

“This outfall that I’m concerned about, because it backs up on this entire road, has not been cleared since before Hurricane Ian, and now, two years later, they hadn’t even touched it. Now, this is supposed to be taken care of as annual maintenance,” said Sean Sander.

Some of these outfalls are hard to see due to the overgrown vegetation.

“But if you do look at the pipe, you can see this very it’s really gotten squashed, and there’s not it’s just not draining as well,” said neighbor Bruce Conley. “I can’t even keep this clear here because water is always here. This weekend, if we get the rain they’re talking about, I might have to get in my boat.”

Conley, along with his neighbors, said they have voiced their concerns to Charlotte County.

“I, myself and many others have tried to voice our opinions to the county, and they seem to not really care. To be honest with you, it’s just excuses. They said, ‘Well, we’ll get to you when we get to you,'” Sander said.

We contacted the county to get answers, and they told us, “The county inspected this location on Sept. 10. A work order has been created to clear out some of the vegetation. Personnel from public works visited the site today to review what may be occurring today.”

But neighbors said it’s not enough.

“It’s unacceptable because it does come out of taxes, and so if it’s not being done, then it’s concerned. Where’s the money going? These are questions you have to ask these days with everything that’s going on” Sander said.

Sanders said if no action is taken to prevent this issue from getting worse. Sanders and others in the community plan to take further action.

“Hopefully, we can get together and start calling for people to resign or be replaced and maybe even get an investigator to start investigating,” said Sanders.