MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County residents who were flooded out of their homes during Hurricane Debby are hoping to get some answers from county leaders.  

The Manatee County Commission is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning. At the county’s last meeting, elected officials said they planned to dive deeper into the topic September 10. A number of residents who dealt with serious flooding issues plan to attend.

Lakewood Ranch resident Jill Sauchinitz says she’s hoping to hear an update Tuesday on the status of a third party investigation into the cause of the flooding. County officials stated in late August an investigation is in the works.

“We asked for an expert led investigation at the first meeting and we have not been provided any update as to what’s going on with that,” she explained. “We need to be briefed on how this is never going to happen again because right now we’re all rebuilding our homes.”

Sauchinitz and her family purchased their home in the Summerfield neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch in 2011. Listed in Flood Zone X, she says she’s never seen water on her street or in her yard. On Monday, Aug. 5, she says water started flooding her neighborhood streets and flowing in her back door.

After working for hours trying to keep the rising water down, Sauchinitz called 911 and asked that a high water rescue vehicle come help transport herself and her two kids from their home. When she returned to her home, she says 80-85% of their belongings were ruined and estimates the cost of fixing the damage could top $100,000.

“I want the county to show us what happened, why it happened, take accountability if that’s what is required,” she said. “Just show us how this is never going to happen again and what are they doing.”

Sauchinitz said she attended a county commission meeting shortly after the flood in hopes of sharing her story, but after waiting three hours to speak she had to return to work. She wishes there was a more productive way to voice concerns to commissioners.

“I cannot sit there all day and wait,” she said. “I missed two and a half hours of work after my home flooded because of the water damage and the demo and everything.”

During a commission meeting in late August, Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker addressed the board stating speculation regarding what could have happened to the Braden River during the storm is only speculation. 

“I don’t mean to reduce the anger and suspicion that the Manatee River created a backwater effect on the Braden River, but it is absolutely untrue and it did not,” he said. “That’s unfortunate but there’s always a cause and effect and we’re searching for those causes.”

Hunsicker continued that the amount of rain that fell in August was to blame.

“My answer to all this is 17 inches of rain,” he said.

Sauchiniz is hoping for tangible answers from the county as to what can be done.

“This is extremely insulting and not doing us any good… that’s not helping us,” she said in response to Hunsicker’s comments. 

A group of residents started the website manateeflooding.org in an effort to keep residents informed. A petition that will be presented to county commissioners and state leaders has already been signed over 700 times.