ZEPHYRHILLS — Benjamin Catlett says constant flooding ruined his home.
Then, even more flooding from hurricanes finished it off.
Watch full report from Erik Waxler
“We were going to try and fix the house but the joist were so rotted you could literally crumble them with your hands,” said Catlett.
He says there was nothing left to do but tear it down.
“I lost everything in it. If that ain’t a rough year I don’t know what is.”
Benjamin and his neighbors say flooding wasn’t a problem before a new housing development was built a block away.
“That housing development wasn’t there and it would rain super hard for a week and the water would just go away and eventually it didn’t go away no more,” said Diego Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says the flooding was a problem even before Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Pasco County officials came to take a look.
But Diego says there were promises and no action.
“I’ve been emailing them since October 9th with zero response,” Rodriguez said.
“Just buy me out and let us go on with our lives because this has been eight months and every day it rains you are praying for the rain to stop. It’s too much,” said Tania Johnson.
The homeowners say a retention pond across the street needs to be maintained better.
They also say this empty lot next door is owned by the county and retention pond here would help.
I reached out to Pasco County’s communications department to find out more about what about why the flooding here is such an on-going problem.
They responded, saying they are looking into the issue with the Public Works Department and will get back to me.
Meanwhile, Benjamin is living with his girlfriend in Kissimmee because he says there’s no point in rebuilding here, where it continues to flood.
“This all could have been prevented and that’s the sad part,” said Catlett.
Pasco County woman trying to rebuild mobile home after hurricanes
"I cried, of course, because I've worked very hard getting it nice, which has been difficult for me since I lost my husband and being alone,” Kelly Welty said.
Welty's mobile home lost its roof during Hurricane Milton. She said it was the only one in the Buena Vista community to get totaled by a tornado.
