LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — As new homes continue to pop up across Lehigh Acres, the risk of flooding increases because the water has nowhere to go.
The Lehigh Acres Municipal Services Improvement District is developing a 550-acre stormwater facility to protect homes with the help of a $15.5 million grant from the state.
District Manager Dave Lindsay said the facility will be crucial during hurricane season.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Dave Lindsay about the project.
"We'll be able to pump water out of the canal system into this area so that the homes in the area and homes downstream here won't experience much flooding," Lindsay said.
Lindsay said the facility is a long-term solution to manage the extra stormwater pooling up.
"Houses are going up on every block, on every street, so our job as storm water managers gets harder every time a new house goes up," Lindsay said.
Neighbors in the community are no stranger to flooding. One woman sent video showing what she described as her own "personal lake in the backyard due to rain."
"That murky water is a result of the rain… my son's swing is under water," the neighbor said in the video.
But flood prevention is only one part of the plan. Once the stormwater facility is built, Lee County will take over to develop the area into a park — also known as "Lakes Park East."
"It's going to be a huge, huge hit out here in East Lee County," Lindsay said.
Construction on pump stations and maintenance paths will begin soon, with a groundbreaking ceremony planned for this upcoming spring. The stormwater facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
