Pasco declares state of emergency in advance of storm

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. - Pasco's Emergency Management director, Annette Doying, gave county leaders a grim assessment of what could happen if Tropical Storm Issac comes our way.

"I'm feeling very cautious for how rainfall will affect us, how we could find ourselves in much deeper difficulty then we've had for the last two months.  I'm concerned about it," said Doying.

She told the County Commission that rain from Tropical Storm Debby blew away estimates and the ground is still saturated.

Doying said projections for Debby were four to eight inches.  Fifteen inches fell on the first day of the storm.

Many neighborhoods, like Suncoast Gateway Mobile Village in New Port Richey, were left underwater.

"Well I asked one of my friends back here, I'll come down and go fishing with you," said Leo Bowman.

Larry Oberg and his granddaughter did find some fish as others got around streets on boats.

Eventually the water drained out, and for now it's back to normal.  But for how long?

"What have I been thinking?  'Here we go again.' But I'm going to do the same thing.  I'll put my chair in the middle of the driveway and I'm not moving," said Oberg.

The county is moving equipment into place in case things get bad again. Stormwater Management Director Mike Garrrett says they have 20 pumps standing by in neighborhoods prone to flooding.

"Generally, when you are in that area, there are other areas just as bad around it. And if you pump into them, you are making it worse for someone else. So there's really not a lot we can do," said Garrett.

Pasco County also released information to assist with storm preparations.  You can find that information at http://wfts.tv/Ocjr0n .