DADE CITY, Fla. — When will the water go away?
Two weeks after Milton, that’s the question so many in Pasco County are asking, including Crista Larkin.
“It’s exhausting,” she said. “There’s going to be a significant amount of time before we’re back in the home.”
Her Zephyrhills home in the Silver Oaks subdivision still has water inside of it, and numerous other homes there and across the county do too.
“It’s already mildewed all over. Even stuff that wasn’t in water is just covered in mildew, so we’ve basically lost everything,” Larkin said of her home.
Thursday night, she attended a town hall meeting hosted by Pasco County Government to learn what the county is doing to help.
Leaders said recovery will take weeks, maybe months, but it is happening.
“This is a marathon,” warned Mike Carballa, the county administrator. “It’s not a sprint.”
According to government officials, debris pickup is in its early stages, but a county-wide sweep is now underway. Debris haulers will make multiple passes in three phases.
Home inspections are also underway, with 9,000 completed so far.
As for flooding, the county now has 46 pumps at its disposal to help remove flood water from some “bowls” where it is currently sitting.
Those responses answered many of the questions in the room Thursday, but not all of them.
One question that sparked thunderous applause and a room full of head nods: Has rapid development in Pasco County played a role in the unprecedented flooding?
Larkin thinks so.
“I think they need to stop building,” she said. “Until they, you know, get this drainage situation straight, they shouldn’t allow any more building because this is going to be a constant problem.”
She thinks it’s part of the reason why her home is still inundated with water and why the water doesn’t seem to be going away.
The county administrator said commissioners will study if development is playing a role in the flooding but reminded community members how much rain the area got over the past few months.
