POLK COUNTY, Fla, - Lakeland has received almost 13 inches of rain, but on average for the entire month of May, they only get 3.5 inches of rain.
"These days, yes it (has) been raining," Maria Vizcaino said.
Vizcaino noticed county crews digging ditches near her home Tuesday.
“We’re actually excavating the ditches right now to make sure they have a positive grade and can flow to the creeks and bigger drainage systems to take the waters from the roadways and away from the residences," Loy Locke, area maintenance manager, said.
The crews worked all day today. They were completing routine maintenance work, but crews respond to flooding throughout the county too.
“We’re in front of certain areas policing the culverts and digging debris out with that and also with hand crews as needed," Locke said.
While crews said they like to work ahead as much as possible, they have received an increased number of calls the past two weeks from homeowners concerned about flooding.
“We’ve had calls in several areas and of course we respond at first with a response truck and with foremen. (We) take the resources we have and do the best we can," Locke said.
Lakeland officials said they are watching the levels of their lakes and cleared their drainage ditches as well as their canals of debris.
