INDIANTOWN, Fla. (CBS12) — Residents in Indiantown are demanding answers after heavy rainfall last weekend caused widespread flooding, leaving streets submerged and water spilling into homes and vehicles.
Cell phone video captured the extent of the flooding, showing residents using kitchen pots to scoop water out of cars as neighborhoods in Booker Park took on inches of standing water.
“It was a disaster. It was really a disaster,” said Indiantown Councilman Anthony Dowling.
Dowling, who lives near the affected area, said he spent much of the weekend helping neighbors remove water from their homes and vehicles.
“We couldn’t even walk here on Saturday. The water was literally up to the knees,” Dowling said. “And if you look at some of the homes, you can still see the water line of the homes.”
Nearly four inches of rain fell in parts of Indiantown during the storm. Residents said roads quickly became impassable as floodwaters turned neighborhood streets into what many described as swimming pools.
Dowling, a lifelong resident of the area, said the flooding was unlike anything he can remember.
“In certain areas, but not as bad,” he said. “I don’t think we have seen anything like this ever here in Indiantown.”
The flooding became a major topic during Tuesday’s village council meeting, where residents voiced frustration and called on local leaders to address the ongoing problem.
“People are losing their homes, and there was never any outcry from the village,” one resident told council members.
The concerns come despite a major drainage project completed in Booker Park in 2020. The village spent more than $2 million on improvements, including new swales and culverts designed to reduce flooding in the neighborhood.
Dowling said the issue is not the drainage infrastructure itself, but a lack of maintenance over the years.
See also: Indiantown residents demand action as flooding persists
“I believe that the previous council did not; that was not one of their priorities,” he said.
With Florida’s rainy season continuing, village leaders are now working to prevent another flooding event.
Although storms moved through the area again Thursday, Indiantown avoided the widespread flooding seen over the weekend. Some streets and sidewalks were left with standing water, but conditions were significantly improved.
On Friday, Dowling said he plans to join public works crews as they inspect drainage systems throughout the village.
Dowling also said he helped secure $2.3 million in state funding and is prepared to seek additional resources from Tallahassee to address flooding concerns.
“I’m ready to put my boots on, literally, and go up there again to ask for more money so that this community and the neighboring communities can be safe,” he said.
According to Dowling, the funding would support drainage improvements across all of Indiantown, not just Booker Park.
For residents still cleaning up after last weekend’s storms, the concern now is whether the village can act quickly enough before the next round of heavy rain arrives.
“We don’t know what tomorrow will hold,” Dowling said. “We want to get prepared and help as much as we can in the immediate time.”
With months of Florida’s rainy season still ahead, many residents say they cannot afford another weekend of floodwaters in their neighborhoods.