A West Palm Beach woman says city work meant to stop flooding along Flagler Drive has instead pushed water onto her property and damaged the garden she spent years building.
Luann Parmelee, an artist and gardener who has lived in her home for nearly 15 years, said the city performed the work last month. She said her calls to the city went unanswered, so she contacted WPTV, which reached out to the city on her behalf.
Parmelee said the street had never flooded before. She shared video showing water in front of her home during heavy rain and a king tide, and said it now reaches over the swale. She had recently redone her garden and planted new plants when the flooding hit.
She estimates that hiring a professional to protect the property from future flooding, including permits, could cost up to $40,000.
The city told WPTV the project is not finished and that flooding has prevented crews from completing it. According to the city, the work is expected to be finished within a month. Parmelee said she will wait to see whether the city returns to fix the problem, adding that she does not know if it will.
WPTV said it plans to follow up in a month to check whether the work has been completed.
