PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —
Port St. Lucie residents are dealing with the aftermath of heavy rain that flooded roads and swales Tuesday, leaving vehicles stranded and prompting city officials to prepare for more potential rainfall.
Barricades remain in place as a precaution, according to city officials. Resident Tommy Fry shared a video of his flooded driveway, saying, “This is the end of the driveway and, you know, two plus feet of water.”
“It poured, you know, it came down pretty quick, probably 45 minutes of rain,” Fry said, describing the rapid accumulation of water.
He also described the extent of the flooding.
“Just insanity, you know, it’s just water two feet deep in the middle of California Boulevard and a waterline 15 feet up my driveway from the street and, of course, the swale over here that’s been like that. I can’t mow it,” Fry said.
Drone footage captured severe flooding near Savona and California boulevards, showing streets covered in water after the afternoon rain. Some vehicles became stranded while attempting to navigate the flooded streets.
City officials reported that most of the water had receded by 8 p.m. However, some residents are still seeking relief, and officials acknowledge their concerns.
“We’re responsible for a very wide network of swales, right, so we try to get to as much as we can,” said Scott Samples, the city’s strategic communications team leader.
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Samples explained that public works crews check drains before storms but noted the challenges of managing heavy rainfall.
“It’s a balancing act. We try to do as much as we can. We know that Mother Nature sometimes is going to win, and we try to do the best that we can to make sure that first of all, people are safe and the inconvenience lasts as little as possible,” Samples said.
City officials are also exploring long-term projects to address flooding.
“So, we’re looking at how can we change some of the stormwater management across the city. These are longer-term projects that, you know, I know people would like to have solutions right now. But again, our goal is to try to do this as well as we possibly can for the long term,” Samples said.
City officials emphasized that crews and equipment are on standby in case of additional heavy rainfall.
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