JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The sewage system could be down for weeks in a small town situated on the St. Johns River in Putnam County following Tropical Storm Nicole.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management arrived Friday in Welaka with shower and bathroom units for the residents in Sportsmans Harbor.
Mayor Jamie D. Watts says the mobile response team from Fort Myers is helping to set up the makeshift units.
"The units are clean and have air conditioning and a hot shower," posted the Town of Welaka on Facebook. "They even have Bluetooth to connect your phone to listen to music as you shower. "
There are also ADA units for those in a wheelchair. The units are expected to open around 3 p.m. on Friday.
The city says the town saw flood levels during Nicole that aligned with what it saw with Hurricane Ian.
"In speaking to the National Weather Service in Jacksonville, they say we could see four feet of flooding, which would put us above Hurricane Irma," said city staff.
Residents in Sportsmans Harbor are no stranger to flooding.
Watts warned of flooding ahead of Hurricane Ian, giving people time to evacuate.
"People did heed the warning, and they got out before the worst of the flooding began to happen," Watts said.
