FOREST HILLS, Fla. (WFLA) — A storm of frustration is brewing for residents who suffered flooding during the hurricane season, even though they don’t live in a flood zone.

“Before Thursday was over, I was being evacuated by the Florida National Guard,” Sherri Allen said.

Sherri’s Forest Hills home was in flood zone X, so she didn’t have flood insurance.

She, like many others in Tampa Bay, had to piece her life back together, one dollar at a time.

When there wasn’t any more money, Sherri took out a $25,000 loan.

Now, her home is livable, but she said there’s still a lot more work to be done.

“What am I supposed to do?” she said. “I can’t keep borrowing money.”

“I’m 64 years old,” Sherri continued. “I’m still working.”

“I should be able to retire in three years,” she said.

Now she’s in debt and wants transparency from the city.

“It means a whole lot because if they can show me, yes it was pump failure that caused the flooding, OK, I’ll be OK,” she said. “All they have to do is be honest with us.”

Why is that so important?

Well, Sherri is worried her flood zone may change and she’d be forced to get flood insurance.

She said, on top of her $7,000 homeowners’ insurance, that’s an extra cost she just can’t afford.

“If I can’t afford $7,000, I don’t know how much flood insurance costs because I’ve never had to have it,” Sherri said. “How am I going to do that too on top of everything else?”

News Channel 8 went to Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera for answers.

“Let’s talk about transparency,” News Channel 8 reporter Nicole Rogers said. “Where are we in figuring out what caused the flooding here in Forest Hills and if that had anything to do with the pumps?”

Viera responded, “I’ve worked with our county commission for an independent review through an independent contractor in the flooding that happened in the aftermath of the hurricanes, that includes North Tampa, that includes Town n’ Country in the county, that includes Plant City, South Tampa, everywhere.”

Viera said he’s been told there were three pumps in Forest Hills.

Two did not have backup generators.

He said one did have a backup generator, but it did not trigger on when the storm happened.

He’s now fighting for answers through that independent review trying to prevent people in this area from having a higher cost of living.

“If it’s found out that this area flooded because of some intervening fact, your flood designation should not change,” Viera said.