MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne was hardest hit by Tropical Storm Fay in August 2008 after the storm lingered for four days.
From August 18-23, Fay dumped 27.65 inches of rain over Melbourne, according to the National Weather Service.
Lamplighter Village in Melbourne made national news when the National Guard used Humvees to evacuate stranded residents.
More than 100 homes in Melbourne were structurally damaged.
A spokesperson for the city of Melbourne said after the storm, the city discovered that yard debris and garbage -- in particular, a garbage can lid and a mattress -- had been responsible for some of the blocked drains.
A spokesperson for Brevard County said the county has spent $25 million on drainage projects since Fay and provided News 6 with a list of improvements.
Flood improvement projects completed since Tropical Storm Fay:
1. Carpenter Road, Titusville
2. Area 1 Watershed, in partnership with Titusville
3. Pine Island Phases 1 & 2, North Merritt Island
4. Chase Hammock/Lake George, North Merritt Island
5. West Cocoa, five projects
6. Upper Eau Gallie/Lake Washington Road
7. Sarno Phase II
8. Lamplighter Phases I and II
9. Cassia Phase III, in partnership with Satellite Beach
10. Indialantic
11. Valkaria Lakes, in partnership with Grant-Valkaria
12. Kingsmill/Aurora -- project nearly complete, functional now
Flood improvement projects budgeted for construction in fiscal year 2016-2017:
1. Washingtonia
2. Breezeway
3. Pines Industrial Pond
4. Hall Road Pump
In eastern Seminole County, State Road 46 was closed due to flooding around Lake Harney and the St. John's River, and residents evacuated when floodwaters crept up to their front doors.
East and northeast Sanford received 17.38 inches of rain during a four-day period from Fay.
A spokesperson from Seminole County said miles of ditches and canals were cleaned and reinforced in District 2, which includes Lake Harney and State Road 46, since 2008, including:
- 61,008 linear feet of ditch and canal cleaning
- 2,397 square feet of ditch bank heavy armoring|
- 781 linear feet of drainage pipe replacement
- 54 mitered ends were repaired or replaced
Debary received 22 inches of rain from Fay.
Glen Abbey, Debary Villas and the Debary Golf and Country Club were all underwater.
Retention ponds overflowed through apartment complexes creating rivers and causing sinkholes.
Public Works Director Alan Williamson said the Debary has built an extensive drainage system since 2008.
"We have a West Side System, Central System, and East Side System, and our West side system is the largest of the three,” Williamson said.
The West Side System consists of:
- 12 lakes interconnected by control structures
- Three storm water pump stations
- 5 miles of 36-inch force main
- A 60-acre regional storm water storage facility
This system protects residents in the Debary Golf and Country Club, Debary Villas, Glen Abbey, and Lake Marie Estates communities.
The east side consists of:
- Interconnected lakes that are gravity fed
- Storm water pump
This system protects residents on the East side of the city.
The Central System consists of:
- Six lakes interconnect by control structures
- One storm water pump
- 1-mile of 16-inch force main
This system protects the Central corridor of the city.
The city of DeBary also bought several homes in low-lying areas and now owns the property so houses can never again be built on the flood-prone land.
Water managers agreed Central Florida is better off than it was in 2008, thanks to numerous improvements, but said no drainage system can adequately handle the 50 inches of rainfall Houston is predicted to get from Harvey over the next few days.