EDGEWATER, Fla. – For the first time in its history, Edgewater is receiving funding from the state budget to tackle persistent flooding problems.
The city has long struggled with flooding caused by hurricanes and even smaller overnight storms. Mayor Diezel DePew said the new money will help bring the city’s infrastructure up to date.
One million dollars will be used to reinforce canals, especially around the Florida Shores neighborhood. Many of these canals have not been upgraded since they were built in the 1990s, despite significant growth in the area. Armoring the canals will improve water flow and help reduce flooding.
Residents like Allison Roberts say heavy rain still causes concern.
[VIDEO: Edgewater city officials unveil plan to address flooding]
“We still get rattled every time we get a heavy rainfall because let’s just be honest,” Roberts said.
The Florida Shores area has experienced flooding with streets and yards covered by more than a foot of water from thunderstorms, and homes submerged under several feet of water during hurricanes over the past four years.
[MAP: The Florida Shores area of Edgewater]
After a recent thunderstorm, Roberts’ yard was flooded. To combat this, she and others have taken measures on their own.
“We pretty much built a French drain in our backyard. You can’t see it but it’s assisting us in making sure there’s no standing water in our backyard,” she said.
Roberts hopes the city will soon take similar steps around the neighborhood.
“When you look up here at the Umbrella Tree canal, I can see where that would do some great good because there’s always vegetation in those canals,” she said.
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DePew explained that canal armoring will address the problem of eroding banks causing washouts.
“Fences are being lost because property is deteriorating closer and closer to their home now,” he said.
The city learned Monday that its funding request made the state budget and survived Gov. DeSantis’ veto pen.
“Canal armoring means we’re going to reconstruct the banks because the banks are falling in the canals, which is causing several washouts in a lot of areas of Florida Shores. So this would take care of that,” DePew said.
Design and engineering work for the project is already complete. The city is waiting for the funds to arrive, which should happen within the next month, to begin construction.