Flooding
In November 2020, Tropical storm Eta produced a significant amount of storm water runoff, causing flooding in the area neighborhoods. Gates Creek overflowed its banks onto streets and backfilled into retention ponds. See more on this storm here:
Major flooding events have occurred 3 or 4 times in the past four years in the Gates Creek area. The December 2018 flooding was the most significant. It was highlighted in slide presentations by the Manatee County staff for the 10-22-20 BOCC hearing (the slides/photos below are from the County staff presentation).
Below is an example of what happened in 2017, in spite of "engineered" stormwater planning! This is an area along the Pearce Canal near 36th St E. The flooded homes in the foreground are on 65th Ave Cir E. This was brought up at the Manatee County storm water workshop on 9-22-20 found here (follow the two links in that page). Manatee staff recommendations to toughen the regulations for stormwater design standards raised concerns by some Commissioners that this could impact development! Those recommendations will include "further outreach to land development community..." meaning this is stalled, in our opinion (seems some would rather accept neighborhood flooding than to impede development). If citizens make enough noise, bringing this up to the newly elected Commissioners, those tougher regulations may be enacted before our homes suffer the kind of flooding damage shown below.
