Port Hueneme homeowners and renters struggle to stay afloat following December storm damages

PORT HUENEME, Calif.— Sharon Dixon still has nightmares about the storms that hit her Port Hueneme condo in December.

“The force of the water scared me and if it kept rising I couldn’t swim. I couldn't go anywhere to safety. So, yes, I was fear that in fear that we were going to drown because nobody showed up. Not until after the water left did we hear any helicopters,” said the Port Hueneme resident.

In addition to the mental anguish Dixon is still dealing with, she also has mounting out of pocket costs she simply cannot afford— from removing flooring and mold buildup to fixing her garage and paying for nightly hotel stays.

“ I own a small two bedroom condo. It's nothing fancy. But if I do this loan they are proposing for the SBA, it's a two point something percent loan, which is a good rate. But I'm on a fixed income. How am I supposed to pay that back? And so and if I don't pay it back, then I lose my home,” said Dixon.

Dozens of community members like Sharon Dixon say they are still barely staying afloat following the December storms.

It’s a heavy burden to bear for homeowners and renters alike.

Quirk Law Firm says the flooding was completely avoidable.

“It's the county's responsibility to maintain the storm drains and the canal that neighbors this community. And they didn't do it. Had they done it, this flooding would not have occurred,” said Quirk Law Firm AttorneyTrevor Quirk.

“They put our lives in jeopardy. We will be experiencing this for years, not to mention the mold. It was just oh, it was so fast that mobile happened and it was just every place,” said Dixon.

Quirk Law Firm is representing roughly 15-20 Hueneme Bay homeowners and via seville homeowners in what they’re calling a case of negligence.

They say they are still waiting to hear what the county of Ventura has to say.