Soggy Sunday in Southwest Florida

Parts of Southwest Florida may see up to 4 inches of rain Sunday. That is enough to start seeing standing water on the roads.

One area prone to flooding is the Island Park neighborhoods. The rains before and during Hurricane Irma brought floods so deep, many could not get in and out of their homes.

Lee County has already begun work on projects to relieve flooding and entered the third phase of a study back in October.

When commissioners approved a $1.7 million contract with AIM Engineering and Surveying.

Part of that study includes holding a series of meetings open to the public.

It opens a line of communication between constituents and project engineers so questions can be asked by the public to reach a better understanding of these efforts.

Island Park neighbors said they are happy to see progress being made, but hopes Lee County will address the Ten Mile Canal, which they said is the root of the problem.

“I’m a little leery at the same time because they are doing the dredging and taking measures to resolve the issue,” said Michelle Wieg, a neighbor. “But at the same time, I think we still need other places for the water to go and to drain other than in the Ten Mile Canal.”

Lee County will hold another meeting this Thursday between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. in Bonita Springs Library.

In the meantime, authorities across Southwest Florida have warned the public to avoid the roadways Sunday, such as in Collier County, where several tips were provided by the Sheriff’s Office if you need to drive somewhere.