KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A mandatory evacuation order is still in effect for people living at the Good Samaritan Village in Kissimmee.
New concerns the county could take control of the senior community after repeated flooding of Shingle Creek through eminent domain.
What You Need To Know
- After repeated flooding, there is discussion Good Samaritan Village senior community could be taken over by Osceola County
- The community has been under a mandatory evacuation order since Hurricane Ian
- Residents say they are concerned, and hope the retirement village can be brought up to code
Josiphne Rivera has lived in the Good Samaritan Village for two and a half years. She said she is concerned about this discussion because she has nowhere else to go.
“Where am I going to go. It is just me and my husband, and we are retired, and I am disabled, explained Rivera. “We came here, we bought a house, and they want us to move. No.”
She said Hurricane Ian did not cause that much damage to her home. However, she is still dealing with the impacts of the storm.
“We have no water. I had to rent a potty, so when you have to go to the bathroom, you have to go outside,” added Rivera.
Our news partners at the Orlando Sentinel report Osceola County Manager Don Fischer is looking at ways to handle the repeated flooding in the retirement community. At a county commission meeting earlier this month, he brought up offering a prominent notice to those renting in a flood-prone area.
Our partners at the Sentinel also report the community was built before modern codes, and many of the buildings are in a floodway. This is something Rivera wishes could be fixed.
“They should do something. They do have the money. This is a senior living. They should better because where are we all going to go. We are here; we are retired. No, they should fix it,” Rivera said.
Another resident told Spectrum News 13 that the community is working to get everything back to normal, meaning the cleanup effort is not over.