‘What’s the solution?’ Rubonia searches for answers after Helene causes another flood

Manatee County’s Rubonia neighborhood faced a familiar problem after Hurricane Helene slashed through the Gulf of Mexico — but residents say it’s worse than ever before.

The historically Black community, which sits just north of Palmetto along Terra Ceia Bay, is already a flood-prone area. But Helene’s record-setting storm surge found new ways to drench residents.

In interviews with the Bradenton Herald, lifelong residents said they spent the day setting soaked clothes, appliances and other personal belongings outside after up to 6 feet of water entered their homes overnight Thursday.

About 2 miles away at Port Manatee, the National Weather Service documented a record 6.04 feet of storm surge, breaking the previous site record of 3.69 feet during Hurricane Idalia in 2023.

Rubonia residents said the Category 4 hurricane invaded homes with several feet of storm surge overnight.

“Inside, it was up to our chest,” said Anna Rojas, as she and her family members took turns using a hose to wash the flood water off of a stroller and office chairs Friday afternoon.

Record storm surge floods Rubonia homes

The inside of Howard Brooks’ home was a soggy mess. Furniture was ruined, floors were soaked and the flood water rose so high that it lifted his refrigerator and laid it sideways across the kitchen.

But Brooks said he was grateful to have gotten through the storm safely, and felt that others had it worse.

Rojas, 23, said she has lived in Rubonia for several years. She hoped to make it a permanent home and put lots of work into improvements. But Rojas said she wasn’t warned about the neighborhood’s flooding issues when she moved in.

“It’s a huge setback,” Rojas said. “We can’t always just replace stuff, especially with how inflation’s gone.”

After flooding in Hurricanes Idalia and Helene, she plans to move later this year.

“It’s tough out here,” Rojas said when asked about living in Rubonia.

Lifelong residents are equally frustrated with Rubonia’s flooding issues.

Manatee County Government recently invested millions of dollars meant to address the neighborhood’s drainage problems. But residents said results have been mixed and flooding problems remain.

Drainage upgrades ‘not working,’ residents say

“We appreciate when the county comes out and upgrades things. We really do,” said John Murrell, who was helping clean out a family member’s waterlogged home. “But it seems like it’s not working.”

“We’ve got to come up with a plan,” Murrell said. “We can’t keep getting wet like this.”

“It seems like we go through this every year. We know it’s a problem,” said Chris Lawton, another lifelong Rubonia resident. “But what’s the solution to fix all this?”

Residents shared worries that the future will bring even worse flooding to Rubonia, and many feel stuck. It would be difficult to afford to move, they said. And some don’t want to abandon their roots.

“You’ve got a lot of older people out here and they just can’t keep going through this,” said 74-year-old Debie Barber.

“After this, I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Barber said.

“This is depressing,” said Chantel Robinson, standing in the middle of a living room with walls swollen from water damage. “Something’s got to be done. Rubonia folks need help.”

Still, Rubonia residents did their best to get back on their feet Friday. Friends and family members helped each other clean up the damage.

And neighbors gathered in driveways to share food, laughs and stories about the unforgettable night when Helene wreaked havoc on their tight-knit community.