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"I'm appalled. There's no excuse": Fox 4 gets answers for Fort Myers woman about flooding

Fort Myers asks county to fix ditch
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FORT MYERS, Fla. — For years Dee Brinker says she's been calling Lee County.

"I want them to make it right," she said.

Just before Hurricane Ian, Brinker says the county told her a dredging project would happen in her back yard through an easement. It was designed to help with drainage in the area. It would connect the man-made ditch behind her property with Mullet Creek Marina in Fort Myers. Watch here to see Fox 4's Dominga Murray get answers from the county:

"I'm appalled. There's no excuse": Fox 4 gets answers for Fort Myers woman with ditch in her yard

She says county hired contractors came out and dug the canal, but crews never did any more work. This has caused a build up of storm water each time it rains, flooding her back yard, and approaching her property.

"I'm appalled. There's no excuse. There's no reason for this. I have grandchildren and now there's a 6 foot ditch and they can't even play in the back yard," Brinker said.

Fort Myers woman says county left a ditch in her yard
Lee County started work on a project about two years ago and left a ditch in this Fort Myers yard that fills up with water in a heavy rain

At FOX 4 we work to get your questions answered, so our news team reached out to Lee County for it's side of the story.

"This drainage project was originally placed under contract before Hurricane Ian and three canals near Ms. Brinker’s property were completed. Due the hurricane, and to prevent any commingling of disaster funds, the contract had to be terminated and then rebid after cleanup efforts were completed. The contract to complete the fourth canal is in place and is expected to be completed later this year," a county spokesperson said.

Ditch in Fort Myers Backyard
Dee Brinker tells Fox 4's Dominga Murray about a ditch Lee County workers dug in her yard years ago

"I want them to make it right, I want my back yard back," Brinker told Fox 4's Dominga Murray.

That's what the county says it will do. Brinker says it’s taken a long time to get an answer. Finally, she has something to look forward to.