Flooding along Shawnee Rd. blamed on neighbors

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Residents of a community forced underwater say their neighbors are to blame.

Dan Thompson has lived on Shawnee Road, off of State Road 82, for 29 years.

“I’m angry, frustrated, really at the end of my rope,” said Thompson.

He says flooding became unbearable this summer, because of a culvert on a nearby road. He believes property-owners along Rod and Gun Club Road installed a drain pipe under the road.

Thompson says that routes water from county-owned lands, straight onto the properties along Shawnee Road.

“During the rains, we had water crossing the road in five different places,” said Thompson.

“I feel pretty bad. You can see in the front of my house, everything is floating,” said resident Frank Rios.

All while Rod and Gun Club Road remains high and dry.

Thompson has pleaded with Lee County to block off the culvert.

Lee County officials released a statement to WINK News saying:

“The culvert in question indeed was placed there illegally by an unknown party. The county will replace the culvert with a properly constructed and properly located culvert.”

Will that solve the problem? Some residents still have doubts. They blame various government agencies for not cleaning out ditches to send water the traditional direction, south and away from roads and homes.

The county says it will replace the culvert within 30 days. Officials note Shawnee is a private road, so Thompson and the other property owners will have to pay themselves, to fill in the holes in the road.