BARTOW, Fla. — Residents along the Peace River in Bartow are under threat of flooding due to rain dumped by Hurricane Debby.
You can still see the high water mark from when the Peace River crept its way into Kelly Hernandez's backyard two years ago.
“It took a long time for that to recede,” said Hernandez.
ABC Action News was at her home in 2022 when Hurricane Ian dumped massive amounts of rain, leaving Hernandez's yard and others along the Peace River, under water. She is worried it will happen again.
“It ruins the fence, it ruins everything. My plants, everything. You work so hard to fix it so nice after you retire. We're back to square one,” Hernandez said.
Wednesday the Peace River in Bartow was at 7.6 feet, which is considered the level when emergency preparations should be made for possible flooding. Bartow city leaders are now declaring a state of emergency.
“In my tenure here, this is the first time I can remember us going to the height of hurricane season with the river at this stage. So out of an abundance of caution we want to make sure that our critical infrastructure is protected and that we have a plan in place,” said City of Bartow Fire Chief, Jay Robinson.
The emergency declaration gives city leaders the authority to go door-to-door to inform residents about rising river levels. Residents are being told where shelters are located in the event they have to evacuate.
It also allows city management to spend $300,000 to protect the wastewater treatment plant, which is located in a flood plain.
“There is going to be an earthen berm built around the plant to include a pumping station to pump out any water that may come in through the rest of the hurricane season,” said Robinson.
City leaders said if the wastewater treatment plant is flooded, it would pose a major health and safety threat that would impact residents and businesses.
A public meeting will be held for residents in flood prone areas to discuss the current condition of the river’s water level.
It is happening August 15 at 6 p.m. at Carver Recreation Center.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
