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Heavy rain in Lee County floods North Fort Myers homes

Tuesday afternoon’s heavy rainstorms flooded some roadways and yards around Southwest Florida, but the water also invaded some residents’ homes. 

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Heavy rain in Lee County floods North Fort Myers homes

Tuesday afternoon’s heavy rainstorms flooded some roadways and yards around Southwest Florida, but the water also invaded some residents’ homes. 

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Tuesday afternoon’s heavy rainstorms flooded some roadways and yards around Southwest Florida, but the water also invaded some residents’ homes.  Janice Pluckett, who lives on Gardenia Road in North Fort Myers, said every time an afternoon shower rolls in, it feels like a hurricane in her home.  “Every time it rains like this, especially if it rains a lot, we have water coming in and what can I do to stop it?” Pluckett said.  First, her yard began flooding, then the water quickly rushed into her home, leaving at least an inch of water throughout her house and especially in her living room.  “This is my home. I live here and I don’t want to file a claim because water is coming from the ditches into my house,” said Pluckett.  She said it took 16 shop vac buckets to clear her living room. Her basement and lanai area was also inches deep with water.  Pluckett said Hurricane Irma badly damaged her home, forcing her family to leave a tarp on part of her roof for nearly three years. The roof was just fixed in July, but now she worries more rain will undo all the progress she’s made.  “We just got rid of it, and I don’t want it to come back,” said Pluckett.  Pluckett said she puts bags of mulch in front of her door to stop the flow of water, which works unless the rain gets incredibly heavy.  She’s far from alone. Just a few homes down, James Benton said he dreads every afternoon rain shower because of how water rushes into his home.  “I’m a disabled veteran,” said Benton. “I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m in the process of making my door super watertight, so the water doesn’t get in, but it still comes in.”  He said a new housing development less than a block away used to be a watershed, now the water that used to pool there runs right to his yard.  “We’re already at a hardship because of this and if we get another storm I will flood again,” said Benton.  Benton said the county told him homeowners are responsible for cleaning culverts, so they don’t overflow. Benton said not all his neighbors do that adding to the issue.  They hope someone can come and clean the culverts to avoid this issue for the next rainstorm. 

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – Tuesday afternoon’s heavy rainstorms flooded some roadways and yards around Southwest Florida, but the water also invaded some residents’ homes. 

Janice Pluckett, who lives on Gardenia Road in North Fort Myers, said every time an afternoon shower rolls in, it feels like a hurricane in her home. 

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“Every time it rains like this, especially if it rains a lot, we have water coming in and what can I do to stop it?” Pluckett said. 

First, her yard began flooding, then the water quickly rushed into her home, leaving at least an inch of water throughout her house and especially in her living room. 

“This is my home. I live here and I don’t want to file a claim because water is coming from the ditches into my house,” said Pluckett. 

She said it took 16 shop vac buckets to clear her living room. Her basement and lanai area was also inches deep with water. 

Pluckett said Hurricane Irma badly damaged her home, forcing her family to leave a tarp on part of her roof for nearly three years. The roof was just fixed in July, but now she worries more rain will undo all the progress she’s made. 

“We just got rid of it, and I don’t want it to come back,” said Pluckett. 

Pluckett said she puts bags of mulch in front of her door to stop the flow of water, which works unless the rain gets incredibly heavy. 

She’s far from alone. Just a few homes down, James Benton said he dreads every afternoon rain shower because of how water rushes into his home. 

“I’m a disabled veteran,” said Benton. “I don’t know how much more I can take. I’m in the process of making my door super watertight, so the water doesn’t get in, but it still comes in.” 

He said a new housing development less than a block away used to be a watershed, now the water that used to pool there runs right to his yard. 

“We’re already at a hardship because of this and if we get another storm I will flood again,” said Benton. 

Benton said the county told him homeowners are responsible for cleaning culverts, so they don’t overflow. Benton said not all his neighbors do that adding to the issue. 

They hope someone can come and clean the culverts to avoid this issue for the next rainstorm.