The effort to pick up Lakeland’s hurricane debris faster gets a boost Saturday when three more trucks and crews are expected to arrive, city commissioners learned Friday during an impromptu update session on storm recovery.
There were also updates on Lake Bonny, where homes remain flooded three weeks after Hurricane Milton:
- A fourth pump that was added to help draw down flood waters has been tested and is now operating at capacity, City Manager Shawn Sherrouse said when commissioners discussed storm recovery during their scheduled agenda study meeting.
- Commissioners scheduled an evening meeting to give updates on the lake and hear from residents about their concerns. It is planned for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the commission chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 228 S. Massachusetts Ave.
Debris: Three double self-loading trucks are expected to arrive Saturday, Sherrouse said.
The city had previously expected five additional haulers and crews from private contractors, but they did not arrive. Sherrouse explained the trucks are in high demand throughout the Southeast. In order to be competitive, the city had to increase its rate to the current market rate of $14.98 per cubic yard instead of the 2022 rate of $7.36 it had been offering, he said.
“Our estimated timeframe to complete our first pass for debris collection is early December,” Sherrouse said in an email. “The estimate for full completion is mid-January. So every truck and hauler we can get right now, we need. We’ve still got a long way to go.”
FEMA reimbursement: The cost of additional haulers will be reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Sherrouse said. Lakeland’s own crews are working overtime to pick up the debris, including trees and wet, moldy drywall and furniture, he said.
“Seven a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week basically is what we’re running,” Mayor Bill Mutz chimed in. “People have to sleep” some time.
Lake Bonny
Sherrouse discussed several factors that exacerbated the flooding of Lake Bonny and efforts to reduce lake levels, including ground saturation and high amounts of standing water.
“In addition to Hurricane Milton, we have had record levels of rainfall this year, so the ground is completely saturated, which means that it’s not absorbing a lot of that heavy rainfall,” Sherrouse said.
Record rains: National Weather Service meteorologist Ross Giarratana, who works in the Ruskin office, said Friday that during Hurricane Milton, Lakeland saw 13.13 inches of rain in a 48-hour period. The last time it rained that much was March 16, 1960, when 9.80 inches of rain fell in a 24-hour period. The National Weather Service began tracking rainfall for Lakeland in 1948.
“We could end up having the wettest year on record by the end of the year,” Giarratana said. “I know the Peace River doesn’t need any more.”
Currently, 2018 holds the record, with 78.15 inches. So far, 71.24 inches have fallen this year – and there’s still two more months to go. The average annual rainfall for Lakeland dating back to 1948 is 52 inches, with an average for November and December of 4.38 inches
“From an average perspective, we might fall just short,” Giarratana said.
However, it is now confirmed that October 2024 is the wettest October on record for Lakeland, with 18.57 inches.
RELATED
Extra pump: Sherrouse praised state Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland, for working with state emergency management officials to get two of the pumps that are moving the water out of Bonny and into Lake Parker, the levels of which have dropped enough to take on Bonny’s floodwaters. He added that it was city staff who suggested adding another pump.
“We’re moving it as fast as we can, but we are flooded – we’re just saturated,” he said.
Night meeting: At the request of Commissioners Guy LaLonde Jr. and Mike Musick, city officials scheduled a meeting for Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m. so more Lake Bonny residents who work during the day can attend.
“The primary concern is actually having that opportunity (for us) to listen,” LaLonde said. “Just to hear the concerns of the citizens moving forward. I know there was a deep concern and I promised I would share it.”
FEMA officials are being invited to attend, as are county and Southwest Florida Water Management District officials. City leaders said they were hoping to get everyone in the same building at the same time.
SWFWMD controls the flow of water into the Peace River and has been trying to prevent downstream flooding.
“The tone of swiftmud (SWFWMD) on this thing has been extremely cooperative and they’re deeply concerned,” Mutz said. “And at this point, everything that can be done really to relieve the lake is being done pragmatically in order to be able to get the water out of there. And so, the results are what matter here.”
latest news
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
