DADE CITY, Fla. — Wayne Cory says when heavy rains come, his home is under siege by water.
“This was the first time. Then the second time. Then the last time. That’s how deep it was here," he said, pointing to water lines in his patio.
But people in Keenes Adult Mobile Home Park in Dade City say it was never this bad until construction on a new housing development started next door.
“We have a lot of senior citizens in these two parks that need to be taken care of and I’m just worried to death about them," said Renee Bradley.
Every time it starts raining people here feel anxiety as they see the water rushing down their street headed to their homes.
“I know part of this was Mother Nature. But also, the way they threw this all together. If you look at the brick wall they put across from my home, you can see the dirt seeping through it. And we are all scared to death it’s going to come down," said Bradley.
Billy Pfaff is helping the people here organize in their fight against the developer because his mother lives in the park.
“At the bottom of McDonald Street at the entrance to this site. It was so bad the last time I filmed on the 27th. I almost had my feet swept out from underneath me. It was over two-foot rapids," Pfaff said.
Residents went to Dade City officials who eventually issued a stop-work order on construction. It has since been lifted.
But City Manager Leslie Porter says they are monitoring the area, especially when it rains, and will intervene again if needed.
For some people whose homes were damaged by flooding that’s not enough. They want someone to pay for repairs.
“I’m worried about mold. Ducting. My anchors. My pilings and all that. And I don’t have the money or the insurance to take care of this," said Cory.
ABC Action News left messages with M/I Homes and Burgess Civil Engineering but has yet to hear back.
