TITUSVILLE, Fla. – A breakthrough for neighbors cut off from dry land since over the weekend. After 15 inches of rain fell in just 12 hours Sunday night, historic flooding is starting to recede in Titusville neighborhoods.
Thursday, Titusville Community Correspondent James Sparvero saw cars driving again on Parkland Street.
That couldn’t have happened earlier in the week without a high-water vehicle.
“This is our first time getting out,” Brett Annand said. “I quoted Martin Luther King. I’m free at last. I’m free at last. Thank God, I’m free at last.”
Being able to drive again is one step in what could be a long recovery process for some residents whose homes were damaged.
As the county commissioner for north Brevard County, Katie Delaney represents the people who’ve been struggling all week.
“I’m so sorry for all the struggles that people are going through right now,” Delaney told Sparvero. “This is unprecedented flooding that we haven’t really seen here before. We’re doing everything we can to try to get resources out to people.”
Some of those resources may not include federal aid.
Delaney said not enough homes had major damage.
“Unfortunately, somewhere around 150 - 200 homes have to have at least a foot of water in their homes to trigger that federal help,” the commissioner said.
Some neighbors blamed the flooding on drains not being cleared out.
Delaney agreed those concerns should have been addressed a long time ago.
“It’s really frustrating because I feel like a lot of us have been talking about this for a really long time, kind of, ringing the bell that this day is coming,” Delaney said.
As pumps continue helping to remove water, neighbors like Annand said the experience brought neighbors closer together.
“You just make the best of it and thank the lord that everything is still good,” he said.