JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – One of the Jacksonville neighborhoods hardest hit during Hurricane Irma is getting some much needed help from the city to head off future flooding.
Every home on Blue Whale Way in Oceanway was swamped when floodwaters swept through six months ago, turning the neighborhood into a small river.
To prevent that from happening again, city crews have been making drainage improvements recently, installing a larger culvert equipped to handle more storm water.
RELATED: Unprecedented flooding hits every home in Oceanway neighborhood
While construction noise usually isn’t welcome in the early morning hours, those who live in this neighborhood aren’t complaining about the din of a backhoe.
“Everybody out here is still trying to recover from it,” said Pat Kicklighter, who was ecstatic to see the drainage upgrades.
“I mean, they’ve had such devastation and I know if the neighbors see this, they’re going to be really happy," she added.
Irma left homes throughout the neighborhood with at least six inches of standing water inside. Cars were ruined. Furniture, floorboards and carpets were tossed to the curb, damaged beyond repair.
“I had some friends here who everything in their house was ruined and destroyed,” said neighbor Misty Pippin. “And they’re still remodeling to this day and they’re not near done.”
Even though the drainage improvements are promising, some neighbors aren’t sticking around. Some said they’re trying to sell their homes because many who endured the storm have since moved out.