'A lot of jibber jabber and no action': 4 days into floodwaters, Sarasota residents want to know why

Floodwaters are finally receding at the Laurel Meadows neighborhood in Sarasota County, but not the shock and disbelief.

[danlowe]

85 homes in one neighborhood flooded, while surrounded on all sides by dry land, four days after the storm, has nothing to do with rainfall amounts.

[jessvd]

"Tallahassee, FL, May 2011 – The budget Governor Rick Scott signed into law eliminates the Florida's Department of Community Affairs. State planners in Tallahassee will no longer regulate how city and counties make changes to their growth plans." One of the outcomes is that developers got a green light to develop in low lying areas. The developers have moved on from Laurel Meadows, but the homeowners are screwed.

[steveladner]

Don't worry... police are out in full force making sure tags and inspection stickers are up to date.

[danlowe]

It's not that there is a straw draining a full bathtub. It's that too many people jumped into an already full bathtub.

[romeysiamese]

Why call it a “100 year event?” This type of flooding is occurring in towns everywhere, repeatedly Every year!

[jamesfung]

Many years ago, Bee Ridge Road around Sarasota Spring would always flood when there was heavy rain, after they built I-75, the storm water would be bottle necked East of I-75, the storm drainage cannot handle this volume of water.

[therottenrook]

I'm no genius but perhaps building in a flood zone is part of the problem.

[HowardOchs-xkxu]

You got screwed by government ! I am here, the price of paradise !

[claudiaritter]

Too many new houses being built in the area.

[Resultsnottalk]

A lot of rain!! What a bunch of bs! Need to Investigate

[HomesteadEngineering]

Sorry to say the writing has been on the wall for 4 decades and its only going to get worse. A child born today will likely see 25% or more of Florida permanently underwater in their lifetime.

[FREEDOM]

What I've learned from hurricanes in Florida is you are basically on your own! Im a life long resident and ive suffered hurricane damage on several occasions include a home destroyed by Charlie in 04! We have the highest insurance rates and the worst coverage! Unbridled construction with little or no infrastructure to accompany that leads to these debacles! Desantis took in 9 million from insurance companies for his PAC so we know where he stands. Project 2025 wants to gut NOAA along with SS and Medicare and you ask why. Because they study the effects of climate change.
I wish people understood what these politicians stood for before they are voted into office!

[christaylor]

I just came to see if the guy followed up 'jibber jabber' with 'I pity the fool.' That's some Clubber Lang, Mr. T talk right there. The problem in Sarasota was that there were drains clogged. It's that simple. It's not sexy and no one is to blame, so for telling the truth, I will be blamed and shunned, told to not listen to that guy. But that's what happened. I pathway for the water to drain out was blocked by debris and water backed up. It happened in my neighborhood but we cleared the drain, water level went down quickly.

[jdhh]

Sarasota county annual property taxes is 685 million dollars a year. Where’s all this money going? 685, 000, 000 per year

[SteveMiracle-wi]

There are people in Sarasota who live without a home every night. Never an uproar about that.

[EdwardM-tp]

That's the problem, it's east of Route 75 in a low lying area.

[SRQGuitarGuy]

I am guilty of not having flood insurance, and in Florida, especially in Sarasota, I should. The waters in my yard came about 3 inches away from entering my house. My house, my risk if I do not get flood insurance, equals my loss. I have a friend who lives in this neighborhood, not only is his house majorly damaged, but his car is totaled too. No one ever thought that a "Depression / Cat 1 Hurricane" would bring this kind of rain, but it did, and has done so in the past, so 3 guesses what will happen in the future...and your first two guesses do not count.

[RedMartin]

Just wait till the big one hits buddy that was just a small tropical storm. I left there six years ago because I knew this was gonna happen. Perhaps you had a few more neighborhoods and developments and concrete onto that swamp land . Have fun.

[daveb]

So still no answers. Unreal. Clearly, if neighboring communities didn't get flooded, something is very wrong with Laurel Meadows. The residents deserve the truth. Who's going to buy a home there now?

[PaulR]

Its amazing these people live in FLORIDA and are shocked that they get hurricanes and tropical storms and torrential rains