Eight days after record rainfall, neighbors in the Hamilton Bay community off Jog Road in West Palm Beach remain flooded, and many say they cannot get a clear answer on who will help them recover.
Residents said they have not received mail since Halloween and have had no garbage or bulk trash pickup for about a week. Juliet Bradford said her car was totaled in the floodwaters. Jackie Copan said she had not left her home since last Tuesday, when she waded through the water to vote. Sal Pahzoor said floodwater reached his garage and was mixed with sewage.
By Monday, the water had somewhat receded, but officials said drainage remains the responsibility of the Hamal Community Development District, which maintains the community’s surface water management system. The district’s two pumps cannot run at the same time, according to the City of West Palm Beach. The Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District has supplied two more pumps, and an electrician is being brought in so the existing pumps can operate together.
Mayor Keith James said the city has offered personnel and equipment but was told there is nothing more it can do for drainage. The city partially activated its Emergency Operations Center on Nov. 2 and is providing shelter transportation. Because standing water keeps garbage trucks out of some streets, the city is placing two temporary dumpsters at the Hamal clubhouse parking lot for bagged trash.
Residents with questions about floodwater removal can contact the Hamal district manager, Jamie Otero, at (561) 571-0010. Anyone facing a medical emergency should call 911.
