Historic rainfall flooded homes along Hyline Drive in Jensen Beach, leaving residents displaced or trapped by floodwaters, and Martin County has now deployed two additional pumps to the area. Crews were setting up hoses on Jensen Beach Boulevard on Monday to begin pumping water out of Hyline Pond as the county continued its response to the neighborhood's ongoing flooding.
Martin County Public Works Director Jim Gorton said the pumping process could take at least a week or longer. Residents remained trapped by floodwaters days after the historic rainfall. The additional pumps and hose setup are the latest developments in the county's response to flooding that had already left residents out of their homes a week after the rain.
Gorton described a process involving a receiving pond. Crews were pumping water out of that pond so water from the Hyline area could be moved into it. After moving the floodwater into the receiving pond, crews would then drain the water out of that pond. His estimate of at least a week or longer concerned the pumping process.
The drainage work follows efforts to find temporary housing for residents displaced by the flooding. A week after the historic rainfall, Martin County officials were pursuing temporary housing, while Habitat for Humanity and United Way were working on shelter and other assistance for affected residents.