Deerfield Beach residents addressed city leaders Tuesday night at a City Commission meeting, demanding answers and long-term solutions after another round of flooding damaged homes and displaced families.
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For some residents, the weekend flooding was not their first time facing extensive damage.
Jillian Lerner was celebrating her son’s 6th birthday Saturday afternoon. By later that night, she said her family was once again dealing with a flooded home.
“Every single room got touched. Everything on the floor is destroyed,” Lerner said.
She said her home also flooded in October 2025, forcing her family to move out for four months while repairs were completed.
“We just moved back into the house in February. All new furniture, so now it’s all gone again,” Lerner said.
The repeated flooding has taken an emotional toll on her family, particularly as another holiday season approaches.
“We’ve missed three years of all the holidays in my house, from Halloween to Hanukkah to Christmas to New Year’s,” she said. “It’s sad. It’s not fair.”
Lerner said her son has now experienced three floods, while her daughter has been through two.
Lerner was among residents who brought their concerns directly to Deerfield Beach officials Tuesday night.
While officials acknowledged residents’ frustrations, they also cautioned that addressing the city’s flooding problems could take years.
Deputy City Manager Eric Power said many homes in affected areas sit below street and sea level, making them particularly vulnerable to flooding.
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According to city officials, some areas of Deerfield Beach received more than 8 inches of rain over the weekend.
“We’re seeing a new normal here in South Florida where we’re having higher rain events,” Power said.
Some residents told city leaders they believe not enough has been done to address the recurring flooding.
Power said the city approved a stormwater master plan in 2021 and took additional steps in 2023 to create more underground capacity for stormwater.
But he warned residents that major improvements would not happen overnight.
“Even if there was a solution today, it could still be several years before anything would fully be resolved,” Power said.
Deerfield Beach Mayor Todd Drosky proposed several potential measures, including additional mobile pumps, an outside study and deep-water injection wells.
As city officials consider longer-term options, members of the community are also stepping in to help residents who have been displaced.
Sam Perks, a Deerfield Beach resident and hotel general manager, said he plans to provide free rooms to families affected by the flooding.
“We’re going to be offering seven to 10 rooms immediately, and then I expect more to come online within the next couple of days,” Perks said. “We’re not charging anything. I’m paying for it personally myself.”
The city is also offering eligible homeowners up to $5,000 in reimbursements to install flood barriers designed to help protect their homes from future flooding.
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