Okaloosa County officials and NAACP leaders met recently to discuss a path forward on persistent flooding issues affecting the Sylvania Heights neighborhood, following the civil rights organization’s call last month for urgent intervention.
- County Commission Chairman Trey Goodwin and county staff met with members of the Okaloosa County Branch of the NAACP to address flooding concerns in the Gap Creek area, according to the county.
“This was a productive meeting with community leaders,” Goodwin said. “While we have multiple ongoing projects in the area to address these concerns, I am committed to moving the process forward more quickly so we can find solutions to improve this ongoing issue.”
The meeting comes after the Okaloosa County Branch of the NAACP released a comprehensive report Jan. 15 documenting what it describes as systemic environmental injustice in the Sylvania Heights and Lovejoy areas, where Gap Creek’s drainage has repeatedly damaged homes, threatened health and isolated families during routine rainstorms.
- The organization issued a press release Jan. 20 proposing a community roundtable within 90 days that would bring together federal, state and local officials to develop a coordinated response.
Sabu Williams, president of the Okaloosa Branch of the NAACP, said the organization remains committed to finding solutions.
“Our advocacy will persist until effective and lasting solutions are established,” Williams said in the county’s press release. “We look forward to working with Commissioner Goodwin and all relevant agencies to ensure that the voices of Sylvania Heights are heard and that meaningful progress is made.”
The county, NAACP and community leaders plan to have additional meetings with area residents to gather input and listen to concerns, according to the release.
Okaloosa NAACP calls for action on Gap Creek flooding in Fort Walton Beach, county battles regulatory hurdles
For more than 40 years, residents of a Fort Walton Beach neighborhood have endured reported chronic flooding, and civil rights leaders are demanding immediate intervention while county officials say they're working to overcome complex regulatory obstacles.
