Punta Gorda flood study shapes city's hurricane prep plans

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WINK)—Punta Gorda is investing in new flood protection equipment to prepare for the next storm, thanks to information gathered through an ongoing flood study.

A map from Punta Gorda's flood study shows red, yellow and green areas where flooding is most likely due to low elevation. For some residents, preparing for the next storm means more than stocking up on supplies—it means raising their homes 10 feet off the ground.

Nanette Warren thought her historic Punta Gorda home would be where she'd retire. Now, more than a year and a half after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, that dream feels far away.

"It's just heartbreaking, so my life as I knew it no longer exists," Warren said. "It's, you know, at 60, basically starting all over."

Thirty-one inches of water filled her home. Today, the inside remains gutted, while insurance and FEMA claims continue to drag on.

"There's no way with the money that the insurance company is offering I could even get close to putting the house back together, and that doesn't even include raising it," Warren said.

The same storms that left Warren's future uncertain also destroyed the home of Punta Gorda's Vice Mayor Janine Polk. She showed WINK News the site of her new house, now raised 10 and a half feet above the ground.

"It has been really hard," Polk said. "I think there's no better person to be your representative than someone who's been through it."

Polk's experience shapes how she approaches hurricane preparation. The city has purchased tiger dams, secured amphibious rescue trucks and is working through a flood study aimed at identifying drainage solutions.

"We do have an issue, and I do think that a flood study is probably going to give us what we need, the information we need," Polk said.

The city's flood study is still underway. Neighbors who are still rebuilding say solutions to flooding can't come soon enough.