Sanford neighborhoods still buried underwater following Ian's destruction in Florida
SANFORD, Fla. - Imagine having a foot of water inside your home and having to row a half-mile every day, just to get to your car. It’s what people in one Central Florida neighborhood are doing multiple times a day.
It’s the new reality for homeowners along Beacon Dr. in Sanford. They are heavily restricted due to flooding caused by Hurricane Ian, which has isolated their neighborhood.
"I’ve been here 27 years and this by far is the worst we’ve ever seen water," said Bob Marwick. "I’ve never seen it in the garage before."
Some of his neighbors are packing up and leaving until the floodwaters recede.
"Just being restricted, just being reduced. Our dogs can’t go anywhere... stuck on an island in the middle of your street," Marwick added.
Residents of the community near Lake Monroe are keeping an eye on the water. It hasn’t rained since Thursday when Ian passed through, but the flooding just keeps coming.
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It's not just residential areas that are isolated due to the flooding. There are now parts of Downtown Sanford you can’t access by car either.
The pier is almost entirely underwater. Some businesses are isolated, and in downtown condominiums, people are still without power.
"You would expect to see something like this during the hurricane, not after. You could still drive on the roads," said Loren Grier, who lives on Lake Monroe. "My car was parked out here, and then, all the sudden, day by day you’re like ‘This is insane!’ and it’s just grown consistently daily."
People are also seeing more alligators coming into the lakeside communities.
Lake Monroe is part of the St. Johns River System and is forecast to crest in Sanford on Friday.