ORLANDO, Fla. — People in Pine Hills are feeling forgotten. It’s been three months since major flooding plagued parts of the Orlando neighborhood, closing down roads and stranding people in their cars.
- Residents say county isn't addressing flooding problems
- County leaders in July said they would address in the issue
- PREVIOUS STORY: Cars stranded due to flash flooding in Pine Hills
People who live and drive along Powers Road near Silver Star want to know why it’s taking so long to get things done.
“I am scared to death to drive down this street whenever it rains. I don’t care if it is a light rain, I am just totally scared to drive down this street," said Maddy Sammy, who lives in Pine Hills.
Sammy remembers the night of August 21 all too well. She and her son were driving on Powers Drive toward Silver Star Road when they came upon the flooded part of the road.
"I mean just looking at it, you would never, you could never tell … that the water was that deep," Sammy said. "We were trapped on this street basically all night.”
She and her son pushed the stalled and flooded out car up a side street in hip deep water. It was not until the next morning that a tow truck could make their way in to get her car out.
Sammy's story is just one of many throughout the months of July and August.
“We were trapped. Me and the neighbors were trapped on the other side of the street. We couldn’t get through," said Kimberly Hamilton, who lives off Powers Road.
In July, county leaders promised to address the issue.
"We know the issue, we are here, we are not turning a blind eye to it," said Victoria Siplin, Orange County Commissioner, District 6.
Public Works Chief Engineer from Roads & Drainage also told Spectrum News in July the fix is not simple. No exact time estimate was given, just that it could take months to fix.
In a press release, Public Works said, "A large contributing area drains to this intersection and area of flooding is the lowest point in the drainage basin. Floodwater from all the surrounding areas drains to this receiving system and drainage is finally being conveyed by a network of pipes through the Northeast (Parking lots) and finally into a private land locked lake named Lake Silver Star.”
This landlocked Silver Star Lake is a heavily vegetated private lake (which is privately maintained, not by Orange County). The lake has not been properly maintained, and the flood stage is at 84 feet, which is 5 feet higher than the lowest point where all the flooding is taking place.
As stated, this lake has no positive outfall and is back flowing into the conveyance system resulting in the flooding of the lowest point of Powers Drive."
Private contract crews were working on Silver Start Lake Monday, and the lake did appear much cleaner. But it’s still been three months, and to Sammy and others, that timeline feels slow.
Tuesday County Commissioner Siplin will host a meeting at the Pine Hills Community Center on 6408 Jennings Road from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Anyone with questions is encouraged to call Commissioner Victoria Splin’s office at 407-836-5860.
