LAKELAND, Fla. — Misty Wells is becoming numb to her new normal.
Her Lakeland home is still stripped to its studs. She's still living in a camper parked outside the badly damaged home.
“Miss it. Miss it every day,” she said. “We’ve still got a few months to go before we can realistically even think about moving back in.”
During Hurricane Milton, a huge amount of rain rushed into Lake Bonny, which flooded her home on Lake Bonny Drive and others along the lake.
For months, Wells and others have challenged Lakeland city leaders to take additional steps to better manage the lake level before future storms.
“Time is a huge factor right now,” Wells said. “Hurricane season is right around the corner.”
Their voices are being heard.
Monday, the city announced a 90-day emergency agreement with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which controls lake levels.
Before the agreement, the city could only pump water from Lake Bonny into nearby Lake Parker when Bonny reached a 10-year flood stage.
The new agreement will allow the city to use the emergency pump sooner when Lake Bonny’s flood level is roughly halfway between a normal lake level and the 10-year flood stage.
“What we’re trying to do now is just some preventative maintenance, if you will,” explained Kevin Cook, a spokesperson for the city.
With the level of Lake Bonny still high, especially after recent rain, the city might begin pumping water from the lake soon.
“We’re not quite there yet, but of course we monitor it every day,” Cook said.
Wells welcomes the change, but she’s skeptical if it will help save her home from future flooding.
“We are still going to continue to push for more because it’s not enough. It’s not going to save us,” she said. “They’re hearing us, and we just hope that they continue to hear us.”
Earlier this year, the City of Lakeland commissioned a study of the Lake Bonny flooding to identify causes and possible long-term solutions. It will take approximately four to six months to complete.
"I'm not a drag on the system."
A woman said she hasn't been able to shower or get out of bed ever since a car accident left her paralyzed from the chest down, and Medicaid denied claims for the medical gear she needs
