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Streets still flooded in Estero communities after weekend rains

Posted at 5:34 PM, Aug 29, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-30 07:17:45-04

After the weekend's heavy rains flooded the streets in Mike Freglette's community of the Reserve at Estero, he expected it to drain much sooner.

"I saw it getting higher and higher, not going anywhere," Freglette said Tuesday. "Then I started getting worried." 

"It's just getting stagnant and nasty," he added.

The flooding is so bad that management at the Reserve urged residents via email not to drive through the water if possible.

"There are smaller cars that are making it in and out, but there are people doing damage to their cars as well," said resident Patrick Kelly.

He said he was first informed by management that the blockage was in a culvert under the railroad tracks to the west of the gated community. 

"Supposedly what they said was it all goes through that culvert, over to the other side of the railroad tracks," Kelly said. "Then they're saying, no, it doesn't really do that."

He feels that the Village of Estero isn't doing enough to drain the water. Tuesday, a village worker was spotted driving through the community, taking photos of the saturated streets.

Messages from Fox 4 to the Village of Estero offices were not returned by late Tuesday. 

Kelly worries about the potential health issues from the prolonged flooding.

"The thing I'm most concerned about is mosquitos, since it is standing water," he said.

Fox 4 also called MRI Underwater Specialists, the company that was hired to look into possible drain blockage, but we were told an answer would likely not be available until Wednesday.