JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As Tropical Storm Debby slowly moved over Northeast Florida, Ken Knight Drive residents were relieved to see a mostly clear road Monday morning but said they were closely monitoring the area as it is historically known for flooding.
News4JAX spoke with neighbors Monday morning, who said that while they were relieved, they were also not letting their guard down as they were keeping a close eye on the storm.
Tony Powell is one of those residents who monitored his backyard throughout the day.
“I get worried, like I said, last year I kind of roughed it out. It was just a very scary experience,” Powell said.
That’s because, after three years of living along the Ribault River, he knows what to expect anytime he hears the words hurricane or tropical storm.
He said in 2023 his home took a beating from flood waters.
“I mean the water was all the up to my porch step. It was very close to going inside,” Powell said. “Pretty much everything, I mean, my washer and my dryer and everything got ruined.”
Debby’s arrival stirred up some old memories for Powell as rain continued to pour down in the area causing just enough flooding to slow down drivers on Ken Knight Drive.
“It’s known to historically flood time and time again waters often going into the homes they’re really on low ground and right next to the Ribault River so just want to make sure folks are safe,” Representative Angie Nixon said.
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Nixon spent the day checking on the area every couple of hours to monitor conditions.
City leaders came together around this time last year to discuss solutions to the neighborhood’s longtime flooding problems. That plan included the city potentially buying out homes from the homeowners or relocating renters.
“I’m going to try to see if I can get a meeting with the mayor to see if we can continue those efforts because there are still a lot of people here who are going to be negatively impacted,” Nixon said.
Powell said he hoped this storm would provide him with a fresh catch.
“When the water is really high like that, you never know what you’re going to catch out here,” Powell said.
But he also said he is prepared in case of an emergency.
“If it gets any worse than this, I’m going to definitely get in my car and go,” Powell said.
Nixon said they also had a JTA bus on standby in case flood waters became an issue during the storm. If needed, that bus would pick up residents and bus them to the Legends Center shelter nearby.