Apopka installing 'Tiger Dams' to keep rising waters from threatening homes

Neighborhood facing flood threat gets tiger dams

River levels are still rising across Central Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. In one Orange County neighborhood, officials are installing "tiger dams," or long rubber bladders that can be filled with water to protect homes.

APOPKA, Fla - Rising river levels continue to pose a threat to homes across Central Florida, including an Apopka neighborhood where the city has stepped in to provide relief.

Nikki Orem, a resident of Wekiva Village, described the stress of watching the water creep closer to her home.

"There's no way I can get any more stressed... and then the water continued to rise. And I thought, oh—there goes my stress level with it," Orem said.

On Friday, for the first time in over a week, Orem was able to breathe a little easier. Crews installed a Tiger Dam along the back section of Wekiva Village to help control the water. The lake behind her home had overflowed after Hurricane Milton, and the barrier is meant to prevent further flooding and protect nearby houses.

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"Hopefully we go a week or two without rain, and we should be good," Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said.

Orem and her neighbors watched as crews worked, feeling a mix of relief and frustration. Her home is one of six still without power after high water levels around an electrical box forced a power cutoff.

"We’ve been asking for help since last week," Orem said.

When FOX 35 News visited the neighborhood on Wednesday, water was visibly inching closer to the homes. Residents expressed disappointment over the delay in response.

"If they had noticed that this was such a problem... and a continuous problem with stagnant water — they should have been moving before day nine," Orem said.

Orem said she was informed that plans are in place to drain the water in their cul-de-sac, which would help restore power to the affected homes. She hopes power will be restored in the back area by Saturday.

More details from the mayor about the issue and the long-term plan for preventing future flooding will be aired at 6 p.m.

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