Hurricane Milton's floodwaters persist in Volusia County: 'We’re literally on life support'

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Updated  November 14, 2024 9:17pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Hurricane Milton's floodwaters persist in Volusia County

Five weeks after Hurricane Milton flooded parts of Central Florida, areas of Volusia County remain underwater, leaving residents frustrated and homes uninhabitable.

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - Five weeks after Hurricane Milton flooded parts of Central Florida, areas of Volusia County remain underwater, leaving residents frustrated and homes uninhabitable.

In Orange City, Miller Road was submerged for two weeks, cutting off residents' only way in and out until Florida Department of Transportation crews built a temporary causeway. While the road is now accessible, floodwaters have yet to recede, with stagnant water still surrounding homes and submerging septic systems.

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"We’re literally on life support," said Reese Linton, a resident whose five-acre property is now mostly underwater, with the floodwaters just feet from his home. "Thirty-five days after the storm – this water should be coming down. We’ve had very little rain."

Other residents, like Lenny Gabella, have faced costly measures to protect their homes. Gabella evacuated for a month and recently returned to find his septic tank still submerged, rendering the water unsafe. 

The St. Johns River Water Management District says Miller Lake remains especially vulnerable due to its bowl-like terrain, which traps floodwater without any natural outlet.

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