Bradenton Resident Experiencing Flooding Due to Heavy Rainfall

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Significant rainfall has been affecting Manatee County since Saturday, with East Bradenton receiving five to six inches, causing localized flooding for many residents.

In the past few days, rain has caused intermittent flooding across Bradenton, but for some, like Barbara Ficklin, flooding has become a consistent issue. “It’s a complete lake all the way out to the road. This whole property from here forward floods. It’s a huge lake,” she explained.

Ficklin resides off Waterline Road in Bradenton, where runoff from nearby developments has exacerbated her flooding problems, bringing water alarmingly close to her home. “It just starts coming and rising from the runoff upstream,” she noted.

Having faced this challenge for about three years, Ficklin has voiced her concerns to county commissioners numerous times. In response to the situation, Manatee County officials issued a statement, confirming they’ve “received numerous reports of standing water and street flooding in various areas around the county.”

Ficklin’s primary concern is the safety of her animals. “We haven’t let the horses out in two days because the land is so wet. If they run, they could hurt themselves. So, they have been in the barn for two days and they’re not very happy,” she revealed.

The consistent flooding has led to unexpected costs for Ficklin, including securing hurricane flash flood stalls for her horses. “This year, we have paid to secure a hurricane flash flood stall at a facility — a stall for each of these horses we’ve reserved. And you pay in advance. But just to have that peace of mind was worth it,” she said.

Ficklin hopes for a timely solution to protect her home and her animals. “Fix what’s going on, put proper drainage in,” she urged. After discussing the ongoing issues with County Commissioner Carol Felts, she remains optimistic about collaborative efforts to address the flooding.