Flood fix in Orlo Vista nears completion after years of storm damage | FOX 35 Orlando

Flood fix in Orlo Vista nears completion after years of storm damage

 A long-awaited flood control project in Orange County is nearly complete, offering long-overdue relief to Orlo Vista residents who have endured repeated flooding from hurricanes over the past decade.

What we know:

It’s been years in the making, and now the Orlo Vista Flood Mitigation project is nearly complete. Three retention ponds were excavated to increase the depth and storage capacity, and the county also added a new pumping system. The ponds can hold three times more water than they did before.

The backstory:

The Orlo Vista neighborhood has seen massive flooding previously. During Hurricane Irma in 2017 and Hurricane Ian in 2022, residents in the area had to be rescued from their homes because the floodwaters were so high. One resident tells FOX 35 that he had 52 inches of water in his home after Hurricane Ian, and he and his wife had to be rescued by boat.

What they're saying:

The county says Hurricane Milton last October brought 10 inches of rain to the area and showed that the system works.

"We got up to 10 inches of rain in this area, and we didn’t see any street flooding, so the county feels very confident that this project is set up to protect this neighborhood for whatever nature brings us," said Darrell Moody with Orange County Public Works.

Orange County District 6 Commissioner Michael Scott hopes that this brings peace of mind to residents this hurricane season.

"Folks can rest assured that this will keep water out of their homes, and they won’t have another experience where they’re on a boat trying to get out of their homes," said Scott. "It’s important to get the project done, but also give confidence to the folks who have lived here for 30 years."

What's next:

The final project phase includes a new pump station and increased connectivity between the three ponds, allowing engineers to draw down water levels ahead of major storms.

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by Orange County Public Works, Orange County District 6 Commissioner Michael Scott and Orlo Vista residents.

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