TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Homeowners in a Citrus Park neighborhood say they’re dealing with worsening flooding during heavy rainstorms and are concerned their homes could be damaged.

Jason Ault, who lives in the neighborhood, said about 10 homes are impacted by the flooding in the cul-de-sac area. He fears the situation could become dangerous during a tropical storm or hurricane.

“Our big concerns, basically, are one, the transformer getting underwater,” Ault said. “I don’t know what that’s going to do. The other one is if we have flooding, this isn’t a flood zone, so … our homeowner’s insurance isn’t going to cover it because we don’t have flood insurance. We’re not in a flood zone.”

“The water right now is about a foot from going into our garage,” he said. “We’ve measured it out, it come out to a foot away, and I’m worried with the next storm, if we have wind-driven rain, it’s going to blow it, at the very least, into our houses.”

Residents believe the problem is caused by a nearby storm drain that isn’t draining properly. Ault said the issue began in March 2024 and got worse during last year’s hurricane season and then was even worse during a heavy rain in July.

He said Hillsborough County opened a case in April but later closed it, and he hasn’t gotten any answers since.

“The only communication I’ve had is, ‘We’re sending it to somebody else,’ or, ‘This is going to this department’ and then I never hear from that department,” Ault said.

8 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken reached out to the county and was sent this statement:

“On August 20th, Public Works cleared drainage pipes at the location and confirmed no obstruction to the pipes. There is an open work order to clear overgrown vegetation from the outfall to the pond behind the cul-de-sac. Public Works is sending an inspector to investigate the situation today for possible additional contributing factors.” 

The next day, a spokesman said the cause of the issue still could not be identified and the next step is to send a robotic camera down the pipe to find the blockage that is preventing the stormwater from making it to a nearby pond.

Behnken will stay on this story until this is resolved.