JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With hurricane season about to begin and a rainy week in the forecast, residents in a flood-prone pocket of San Marco said they are watching the skies — and the storm drains — closely.
Sen. Rick Scott spoke at a news event Thursday, urging Floridians to prepare even if forecasts don’t call for an active season.
“We hope for the best.” Scott said. “But reality is, it just takes one. It just takes a little bit of water, and you’re cast away.”
In San Marco, neighbors said they have lived that reality. Video from just under a year ago shows water running down streets like a river, cars left stranded and residents wading through floodwater.
Crystal Wright, who moved to the area in 2021, said heavy downpours can leave water sitting in the street and create concern about flooding inside homes.
“I’m a little nervous. I know we got a lot of rain coming in the next week,” she said. “So I’m hopeful, but I’m still a little nervous.”
Wright said she put a “No Wake Zone” sign in her yard to discourage drivers from pushing through standing water, which can send waves toward nearby houses.
Wright said she will be looking for signs the drainage system is working after the next round of heavy rain.
“Positive sign would be when the rain stops… I see the bubbling and gurgling going down the drains,” she said. “That means that it’s going to go somewhere.”
The City of Jacksonville says drainage improvements are underway in the area. On its LaSalle Street Drainage FAQ page, the city says phase two of the project is expected to be completed in 2026.
For neighbors in the flood-prone area, Wright said the next significant downpour will be a test.
“Until I can say that these drains are functioning properly, I’m always going to be worried that we’re going to get some flooding,” she said.