MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Last year’s storms did significant damage to Manatee County’s drainage system and canals.
What You Need To Know
- Manatee County is ramping up efforts to clean its drainage systems after last year's storms heavily damaged local canals, initially allocating nearly $2 million for debris removal
- Residents have expressed concerns about flooding, emphasizing the importance of debris removal for water flow and storm preparedness, with one local reporting significant flood damage from Hurricane Debby
- According to county officials, with the success of this cleanup effort, they will be going back to county commissioners to request more funding
County commissioners originally allocated nearly $2 million to clean debris from canals and drainage ways. County staff are now asking for more money to expand the project.
Manatee County Deputy Director of Property Management Carmine DeMilio said the program has been very successful so far.
“We’re in the air with drones. We’re in the water with boats, and we’re on the land with machines — and all three things, the trifecta alone — we’re accomplishing a lot more than we ever did,” he said.
Manatee County has completed hundreds of work orders to remove debris from local canals. Residents who live nearby say it’s going to take this and more to be prepared for storm season.
Brett Reeder sees the county’s efforts as a work in progress.
“Every bit of that stuff is holding the water up," he said. "The more we can get this creek to flow, the better opportunity we have to not flood nearly as much."
The Gamble Creek Canal that sits behind Reeder’s 30-acre property. He says overflow from the canal flooded his pasture during last year’s storms.
The worst came during Hurricane Debby.
“It rose between 6 and 9 o’clock, 26 inches," he said. "Nobody was prepared for that amount of water that quick."
Manatee County has completed about 600 of the 745 stormwater maintenance work orders. Both county staff and contractors have removed debris from canals and drainage systems.
Reeder said he’s glad the cleanup is happening ahead of storm season.
He said Debby’s floodwaters last year killed several of his cows, flooded structures, and ruined some of his equipment.
Despite the county’s work, Reeder says there’s still a lot of uncertainty.
Each storm season is unpredictable, but he said this debris removal is a good start to help him feel prepared for what could come.
According to county officials, with the success of this cleanup effort, they will be going back to county commissioners to request more funding.
