Some North Port residents question city's stormwater drainage system

Some say, "when it rains, it pours" in North Port.

Residents shared some photos of roads and sidewalks engulfed in water after a storm.

Edward Kelley

North Port Community Correspondent Victoria Scott spoke to people who are concerned about drainage issues in the city.

Scott also asked city officials about it, and they told her the drainage system is just doing its job.

"While it looks like there's flooding, it's actually just water doing its thing," said Assistant Director of Public Works for the City of North Port Tricia Wisner. "If water is in the street, it's meant to be there. The streets are actually part of our stormwater conveyance system."

It might seem like an odd reality for some people who live in the city.

However, North Port resident Pam Tokarz told Scott she's more concerned about the water in her back yard.

She said it might inch closer to her house.

You can watch Victoria's full report here:

"Because this is a low-lying area here, most of the back part of my yard is actually a bona fide wetland, so that is currently a lake back there with all the rain," Tokarz said.

The rainy season hasn't helped.

Tokarz said it's at its highest level to date since she moved there.

"It's just not knowing how much rain you're going to get and exactly where it's going to stop."

Tokarz's backyard situation isn't the only thing she's monitoring.

"What guarantee are we going to have that water is actually going to stand on the property once a commercial development is built?," she asked.

City officials said commercial developers aren't making the situation worse.

"Actually, as these parcels develop, they're putting less water, or the same amount of water into the system," Wisner said. "Really, the process for the water does not change depending on how much build out we have. It was planned for that amount."

Regardless, city leaders are encouraging the public to trust the system, including the swales in front of homes and other areas.

"It is working as designed," Wisner said.

You can visit the city's webpage on stormwater management by clicking on this link . Some people brought up concerns about water pollution and land development in a special meeting that happened Wednesday.