Florida's Lake Helen residents tired of waiting pump flooded lake

Oct 23, 2024

The pump had issues and is now getting fixed, but they hope to get it up and running soon.

The pump had issues and is now getting fixed, but they hope to get it up and running soon.

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The pump had issues and is now getting fixed, but they hope to get it up and running soon.

One Lake Helen road is underwater.

Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Milton, the water has yet to recede.

Right after Milton, Jensen had to evacuate her home on North High Street.

"We had chickens in the backyard we had to go rescue, dogs to get out of the house," said Jensen. "Thankfully, my in-laws came over. We put chickens in a dog crate, moved them over to their dry property and we haven't been able to live in our home since the hurricane hit. "

The retention pond behind Jensen's home flooded right after Milton. It's the reason the road right across from her is underwater and is now just inches away from entering her house.

"It's very, very close," she added. "It's in the garage."

Neighbor Terry Jacobs said driving in and out of this neighborhood is a nightmare.

"I'm having to go through my front yard and drive over the edge of where my septic tank is so I can get in and out," said Jensen.

The city is looking into it. However, residents want a fix now, which is why they took matters into their own hands.

"We have a pump that we're working on," said Jensen. "We got some hose ourselves. My husband called the property owner down the street, who gave us permission to pump into his pond."

They had some issues with the pump and had to put things on pause for a few days. They hope to get things up and running soon, but that, of course, comes at a cost.

"We still have to spend more money for fuel," said Jensen. "But it's not cheap."

Jensen is willing to do whatever it takes for things to return to normal.

The city administrator told us over the phone they have a new engineering firm under contract that can hopefully get them some answers.