More than a week after Hurricane Irma struck The Villages, Historic Side residents are still waiting for flood waters to recede.
Richard St. Amant, who has lived on Debra Drive for the past 15 years, has been sorting through debris and trying to clean up after the powerful storm.
His street is still flooded.
His air conditioning unit was completely submerged during the hurricane, as were many others in the neighborhood.
His house had been sweltering up until a few days ago when he purchased and installed a window air conditioning unit.
“Now it’s livable,” he said.
When reminded about The Villages’ prohibition on window air conditioning units, St. Amant had an answer.
“Let ‘em come. My wife has Parkinson’s,” he said.
He used a ruler to measure the flooding from his deck.
“It’s gone down. A little,” he said.
He said it was reassuring when Community Emergency Response Team members came to his door in a house-to-house check of homes in flooded areas on the Historic Side.
The standing water is also a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes, St. Amant said.
“We are over here waiting and waiting,” he said. “And we have to wonder if anyone cares.”
