LAKELAND, Fla. — People living near Lake Bonny called for more action on flooding Wednesday after a public meeting in Lakeland.

What You Need To Know

  • The city of Lakeland held a public meeting on Wednesday to provide information on Lake Bonny's flooding situation

  • Residents, Nicole and Ricardo Ramirez said they are looking for additional relief from city leaders as the floodwater recedes

  • City leaders made their way through the area Thursday to assess the damage

During the meeting, city leaders provided information on the area's flooding situation, saying crews started pumping water from Lake Bonny on Aug. 5. Once agencies, like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, brought in additional pumps, and officials reported water was being removed at a rate of 19,500 gallons per minute.

"Certainly, groundwater continues to contribute to the lake's water levels, exacerbating a lot of the pumping," said Lakeland City Manager Shawn Sherrouse. "Because as fast as we’re pumping it out, groundwater is still infiltrating."

However, after enduring flooding for weeks, some residents on Honey Tree Lane said they didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting to hear what they already know. Rather, they went in with the hope of getting more relief.

“We have nothing," said resident Nicole Ramirez. "We’re just asking for some more help."

Ramirez said she feels like her family's cries have been ignored.

“Just crickets and, ‘Oh, it’s not us. We didn’t do it. We had the pumps on,’” she said.

Ramirez said she’s heard the same response from Lakeland officials since early August. That’s when she says Lake Bonny’s water levels began to rise in the aftermath of Hurricane Debbie. Once Milton hit, Ramirez  said she and her husband, Ricardo, had no choice but to escape through a window.

“It was a good amount of ways with the water up to my thighs, with three dogs and my husband, who is disabled,” she said.

Ramirez said one of her dogs died shortly after the storm, and Ricardo, who suffers from kidney failure, lost all of his equipment.

“His nebulizer is there. We couldn’t take it out, so we can no longer use that,” Ramirez said. “In the garage is his scooter, his manual wheelchair, his two different walkers that are in there as well.”

Ramirez said the damage to their belongings and home could have been avoided if the city had added additional pumps on Lake Bonny sooner. Now, as the water recedes and residents look to rebuild, she said they shouldn’t have to do it alone, especially as they wait to hear from FEMA.

“We want some kind of funding for us,” she said. “We want some type of assistance, because it’s not fast enough. It’s kind of like a standstill at this point.”

While there were no details on the possibility of additional relief during the meeting, city leaders made their way through the area Thursday to assess the damage.