Resident Maxwell Lightman said neighbors warned one another as water rose around their vehicles. Some sandbagged their garages.
“We’ve been unable to move our vehicles for over a week now,” Lightman said.
He said the flooding has also kept him from going into the office, although he has been able to do some work remotely.
Other families described parking outside the community and walking home with children and groceries.
Isabel Cardona and Edwin Mosquera said their routine includes walking their children through the flooded area, washing their feet and getting them dressed in the car.
Neighbors have also reported snakes and alligators, adding to their concerns about navigating the water.
Tree-trimming notice adds to frustration
A notice from Briar Bay management asking residents to move vehicles for scheduled tree trimming has drawn additional criticism.
The email directed residents to remove all vehicles from the North Jog and South Jog areas so BrightView could perform the work.
For neighbors who moved their cars away from flooded streets, the request raised another question: Where should they park?
Cardona questioned why tree trimming was being addressed while residents were still dealing with flooding.
Another resident, responding to management’s email, accused the association of misplaced priorities and asked it to speak with CBS12 News.
In earlier emails to residents, Campbell Property Management, writing on behalf of Briar Bay Community Association, said it was coordinating with Hamal CDD and other drainage authorities. It said the association does not directly control or operate the lakes and drainage systems.
Management also said it explored hiring water removal trucks but could not proceed because there was no available location to discharge the water.
Mayor outlines drainage problems and city assistance
The association’s earlier updates said four pumps were operating and that high lake levels and a drainage system at capacity were slowing the removal of water from streets.
The mayor’s Monday statement provided a different detail about the equipment: Hamal CDD’s two pumps cannot currently operate at the same time.
James said the city has offered personnel, equipment and technical assistance. Both drainage districts told the city there was nothing further it could do at that time to assist with drainage operations, he said.
He also said the city is not withholding permits or delaying the current pumping and drainage efforts.
“While the drainage system is outside our jurisdiction, our commitment to these residents is not,” James said.
The city has helped hospice nurses reach patients and offered transportation to shelters for residents unable to leave their neighborhoods, according to the statement.
Police and firefighters remain available for medical emergencies and other urgent needs, including assistance leaving the communities. Residents facing an immediate emergency should call 911.
Temporary dumpsters planned after missed pickups
Residents say missed garbage collections have left them struggling to contain their household waste.
“We’ve missed two trash pickups so far,” Lightman said. “So people’s trashes are overflowing at this point.”
James said sanitation crews have been assessing neighborhood conditions twice daily. Garbage trucks cannot safely reach some areas without creating wakes that could push water into homes and garages, he said.
The city is placing two temporary six-cubic-yard dumpsters in the community clubhouse parking lot for excess bagged household garbage, according to the statement. Regular collection will resume when conditions are safe.
The mayor’s statement did not provide a date for when the remaining floodwater would recede.
For residents, that uncertainty remains central to their frustration.
“Just get us out,” Demicco said. “I don’t wanna live this way anymore.”
Residents with questions about drainage operations or floodwater removal can contact Hamal CDD District Manager Jamie Otero at 561-571-0010 or [email protected].
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