‘Absolutely disgusting’: Deltona residents puzzled by standing water outside flood zones

DELTONA, Fla. — Residents in one Deltona neighborhood are still dealing with flooding from Hurricane Ian days after the storm.

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Neighbors along Sunday Drive say the standing water there is starting to cause problems. They say it’s blocking off access to the entrance to the street, and starting to smell bad.

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Homeowner Nick Lulli says he never expected to see and smell standing water outside of his home, even after a hurricane.

“We are not in a high-risk flood zone,” Lulli said. “We are not on a lake or a river.”

As Hurricane Ian bore down on Central Florida, Lulli says he thought they would be in good shape, until they weren’t.

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“The water approached two to three feet of my home,” Lulli said.

Much of the water eventually receded, but the leftovers remain days after the storm.

“It’s absolutely disgusting,” Lulli said.

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What’s worse, Lulli says, is what he thinks is the source of the water.

“A city of Deltona storm water pond just a few blocks north staged out and surged out into our community,” Lulli said.

When asked if the city agrees on the source, Mayor Heidi Herzberg said it very well could be.

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“If there’s a retention pond there, you have to look at what the pond is capturing,” Herzberg said. “How are things working with the pond?”

Herzberg told Channel 9 News the city is looking into the matter while working on getting the water out of Sunday Drive.

“Right now, I know the city has gone down there. They’ve assessed it. They put some pumps out there,” Herzberg said. “They talked to a private landowner on the other side of (SR) 415 who is allowing them now to pump water over to that area.”

READ: Florida National Guard rescues hundreds from flooded homes, ferries supplies to those stranded

Herzberg says there are other areas besides Sunday Drive dealing with the same issue.

“A thing we’re going to do now is look at the areas that had these water impacts, and really address where is the storm water? Where do we need to invest more?”

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