BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Despite northern Brevard County experiencing some of the worst flooding in years, county leaders said they did not get enough flooding to qualify for federal disaster cleanup programs.
The county’s emergency management director, John Scott, told commissioners during a meeting Tuesday that a community the size of Brevard’s would have to have “major” flooding in 150 homes.
While he sympathized with the many families whose homes are still covered by inches of water, he said the federal government classified “major” flooding as 12 inches of water or more – enough water to reach standard power outlets.
FLOOD COVERAGE
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- What to know about flood insurance and recovery after the storm
- Some roads reopen, boil water notice remains after flooding in Mount Dora
- Destroyed roads, displaced families among historic flooding’s aftermath
- Eustis resident concerned about cul-de-sac washout
- Heavy rain leads to severe flooding, road washouts in Central Florida
- Streets and homes swamped as flash flooding slams Central Florida
- Massive washout threatens homes in Lake County
- States of emergency declared over flooding in Central Florida
- HISTORIC FLOODING: Some Central Florida areas got over a foot of water
The county had 18 pump stations deployed and six teams of assessors to quantify the damage and begin making long-term recovery plans, county leaders said. With so many communities still flooded, the focus was on getting the water to move into the Indian River Lagoon.
Some commissioners criticized the county’s response, particularly the communication about the rising water overnight, even though County Manager Jim Liesenfelt said the first notifications about the county’s help line were posted at 10:40 p.m.
Commissioner Katie Delaney said she and other commissioners needed to reassess the county’s development, rejecting the notion that the Sunday night rain storms and subsequent flooding were “fluke” events.
“These ‘flukes’ are happening regularly,” she said. “How do we get the county functioning in a way that we’re not just on survival mode all the time?”
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