Lake Bonny Drive residents brace for Florida’s hurricane season

LAKELAND, Fla. — Anxiety is creeping in on Lake Bonny Drive as residents brace for this year’s hurricane season.

Since Hurricane Milton, several displaced families are still living in RVs outside their homes, while others are working to rebuild.

Throughout the day, longtime resident Jan Morsey takes note of what’s left to be done inside her home. She still has a long way to go — all while the threat of flooding looms.

“It’s very anxiety-provoking for many people, myself included. We just don’t know what’s going to happen this year,” she said.

Last October, water from Lake Bonny flooded Morsey’s childhood home, destroying the interior and most of her belongings. When Spectrum Bay News 9 spoke with Morsey in March, she had created an online petition calling for an independent investigation and asking officials to fix a nearby canal. She believed a blockage there made the flooding worse during Hurricane Milton.

Since then, Morsey says the county has made some repairs, including adding a spillway.

“However, again, we’re running into an issue with the sediment. Because there is so much sediment there, we’re not really sure what the capacity is for the canal to hold or actually move that water out,” she said.

To help prevent water from threatening homes again, Morsey and her neighbors meet weekly to exchange ideas and supplies. But ultimately, she says what happens this storm season depends on local leaders.

“We need to have this lake — and others like it that have had these flood issues — looked at very seriously for what the balance is for it to get the sediment out, make it capable for actually holding the water it should be holding,” she said.

Following Hurricane Milton, city leaders say they teamed up with Polk County officials to inspect Lake Bonny’s drainage system. Their findings show the system is fully intact and free of debris or obstructions.

The city also says third-party engineering consultant AECOM has been conducting a watershed study since January. The study will review Lake Bonny’s drainage basin and evaluate potential flood relief options.

In a statement from Polk County Roads & Drainage Division, Director Jay Jarvis said:

“The County is working on preparing an application for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds from FEMA to assist with improvements determined to help address flooding concerns. Once the study is completed and we determine a path forward, you will begin to hear more about the plans moving forward.”