Lee residents impacted by heavy rainfall, flash flooding

LEESBURG — Storms, heavy rains and flash flooding in Lee County have put a strain on citizens and county officials. Several Lee residents spoke out at Tuesday’s commission meeting to voice their concerns over stagnant water in their homes and on their property.

Commenting before the board was not a first for resident Larry Christmas.

Before Christmas spoke, Commission Chairman Billy Mathis said, “The County Commission understands your situation and we sympathize. We have all talked about the flash flooding problems. Mr. (Lee Co-manager Mike) Sistrunk has been working on this issue. It’s my understanding that he and some engineers have come up with some tentative solutions for the problems to help you all.”

Lee officials said there is no single solution to the water issues. The ground is oversaturated with water and is pushing water back to the surface. When rain comes down, all it can do is sit in the standing water.

Christmas explained how the flooding of his property is negatively impacting his family. He told the board that he is disabled, his mother-in-law has dementia and cancer, and his granddaughter has special needs. When the water levels are too high, emergency crews cannot reach his home.

Christmas said that his home is riddled with mold and mildew.

Mathis assured Christmas that the board would look into a solution to redirect the waters away from his home, but Christmas said he had heard it before for years and went to the meeting to see results.

“I keep chasing my tail here, and I’m not getting anywhere,” he said. “It’s been 20 years and nine months.”

The flooding began after a road adjacent to Christmas’ property was paved. Christmas said that even during the 1994 flood, he didn’t have the problems he has now. Other county citizens voiced concerns echoing Christmas’, and some came with possible solutions they offered to officials, such as more pipes and ditch maintenance.

“The biggest thing we want to stress is it’s not just us,” Sistrunk said. “It’s all of these cities and counties around here. Everywhere the ground is saturated, and every time we get a sprinkle of rain, it can’t do anything but sit on top of the water.”

Until the water evaporates or absorbs into the ground, the county has its collective hands tied. Some neighborhoods have seen up to 11 inches of rain in merely four hours.

“I know their frustration,” Sistrunk said. “I see the pain and agony, and honestly, I think the most important thing is to let people know that Christi (Dockery), our staff and I have done nothing but try since the day of the storm to find a resolution to help everyone. If we help one house out, we’ve been able to accomplish something, and we have helped some homes. But we can’t help everybody out. There’s just some things we cannot do.

“I think that’s what has disappointed us and aggravated the citizens is they see you help somebody else, and they don’t feel like you’re helping them. That’s just not true; it’s just that some people we got relief to and some people we can’t get relief to. I’m sorry.”

County officials said they will continue to seek a solution for the county’s flooding problems.

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