ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Janét Buford-Johnson reports that the aftermath of Hurricane Ian continues to impact her Orlo Vista home, almost three years since the disaster wreaked havoc on her neighborhood.
“My home has foundational cracks,” shared Buford-Johnson. “When I’m in my utility room, I can actually see outside through the cinder blocks.”
That’s just some of the damage left behind after floodwaters swamped streets and homes across the area back in 2022.
“We lost everything,” she recalled. “I lost both my cars. I lost everything — everything of my son’s and my daughter’s stuff. Everything’s gone.”
Orange County has spent three years and $23 million of taxpayer money on a significant flood prevention project near Buford-Johnson’s residence, now 99.9% complete. This includes deepening all three local retention ponds by 12 feet and linking them with pumps, pipes, and inlets, all aimed at reducing future flooding risks and safeguarding the area against severe storms and hurricanes.
“It has proven its effectiveness,” stated Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott. “We’ve experienced several major rainfalls, and so far, it has held up well.”
Commissioner Scott also mentioned an additional initiative: the Orlo Vista Integrated Water Resources Project. This project is geared toward collecting stormwater for reuse in irrigation and replenishing aquifers, which supply much of Florida’s drinking water.
“However we use it, it draws down more water, so the likelihood of flooding during a bad storm is more reduced,” Scott explained.
Even though some families in Orlo Vista, accustomed to flooding, believe in the project’s potential benefits, Buford-Johnson insists that further work is needed, particularly for maintaining the neighborhood’s drainage system.
“Even a couple weeks ago when it rained — we had that serious rain — it flooded out here,” she said. “It was in the street. It was up to the mailbox. Right there in the street.”
Orange County officials say storm drains in Orlo Vista were recently inspected and are functioning properly. However, they added that there’s no immediate solution when intense summer storms bring heavy rains.
Construction teams expect to finish the flood mitigation project later this month. The Water Resources Project is expected to be completed by 2029.
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