OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Osceola County is working towards reducing flood risk by making stormwater improvements to Buenaventura Lakes.

Clara Coto-Shepardson’s home inside the Pebble Pointe community in BVL, among many others, were flooded during Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Osceola County is hoping to prevent a situation like this from happening again. The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity recently granted the county $4.69 million to develop large-scale infrastructure in BVL. Drainage structures will be replaced in streets like: Royal Palm Drive, West Lake Drive, Satin Wood Circle, Competition Boulevard, Cedarwood Circle, Floral Drive and Seal Street.

“It’s about time. I have been living in this area for more than 30 years and this is a problem that has been here for 30 years,” said Coto-Shepardson.

This recent grant, previously received grants from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and matching contributions by County Commissioners total a $12 million investment in drainage infrastructure improvements to the Buenaventura Lakes community.