‘I can’t do this again’: Residents of Ian-flooded Orlo Vista ask Orange leaders for solution
Orlo Vista residents, some of whom have lost everything twice to neighborhood flooding, took turns Tuesday telling Orange County commissioners how Hurricane Ian washed them from their homes 12 days ago, just like Hurricane Irma did five years ago.
They also asked how the county plans to prevent another flooding event.
“I want to know so my 4-year-old granddaughter will stop asking, ‘Nana, is your house floating away?’ “ said Cynthia B. Slaughter, 63, a resident of Orlo Vista since 1984. “I need to know what’s going to be done for my community. I can’t do this again.”
At a meeting during which county staff recapped Ian storm statistics for the board, Orlo Vista residents recounted the ordeals.
“I lost my car, I lost all of my work tools, everything; my livelihood is gone,” said Jason McIntosh, a plumber who lives on Ronnie Circle near two of the neighborhood ponds that flooded. “Five years is too long for nothing to have been done to help people in the community.”
Those who lived through Irma said flood waters were worse this time, both faster and deeper.
Kontara Sanders said four feet of water seemed to arrive in a flash in the middle of the night.
“I was trapped,” she said. “There was wildlife in the water.”
She called 911 and waited two hours for a boat rescue.
An alligator lives in Lake Venus, one of the water bodies that spilled into the neighborhood.
Residents who spoke to the board left with their elected leaders’ empathy but little new information.
In January, the county was awarded a FEMA grant of $7.5 million for flood prevention in Orlo Vista. The county’s plan, estimated to cost $10 million, includes deepening three water bodies, including Lake Venus, to increase water-retention capacity.
Some doubted they’d risk rebuilding in Orlo Vista; others said they’re stuck with mortgages on the flooded property.
Commissioner Victoria Siplin, who has visited Bonnie Brook, Orlo Vista and Westside Manor — her district’s flooded neighborhoods — to listen to residents’ concerns, promised she’d hold a community meeting soon to give residents answers they’re seeking. She thanked those who stepped forward for “putting a face to all of this stuff. You guys are the core, one of the core communities here in Central Florida.”
“I‘ve talked to many of you who are here today and to so many others who couldn’t be here,” she said. “I can tell you my heart just goes out to you all because I was with you guys five years ago. And not only does it feel depressing, but it feels disappointing.”
Siplin said the board and county staff are committed to improving flood control in the neighborhoods.
“But things sometimes don’t happen as quickly as we policy makers would like because of bureaucracy and dealing with other entities. I just want you guys to be affirmed we are committed to doing everything we can,” the two-term commissioner said.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings echoed Siplin’s promises.
”We do sympathize with the plight that you have there within your community and within your home,” he said. “Our commitment from Orange County is to look to make it better for the future. Unfortunately, we can’t change what has happened but we do look forward to working with you and other residents within that community to assist you as best as we can.”
