OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Pastor Rich Reiter of Good Samaritan Church shared with News 6 the email the Good Samaritan Society management team sent out to its residents.
“It says they made a difficult decision not to restore independent living residential units,” Pastor Reiter said
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Six neighborhoods on the 400-plus-acre village will not be restored following flooding damages from Hurricane Ian 3 weeks ago.
They are the following:
- Orangewood Place (including the Gables)
- Cypress Landings
- Birchwood Court
- Walnut Glen quads 6, 7, 8
- Grand Oaks (including the Gables)
- Mapleleaf Shores
The pastor said some of the displaced residents who will not be able to return are looking for alternatives.
“The next step I think, many of them have decided to go back to maybe where family is; some people are moving. I talked to someone who’s going to California to live with a brother,” the pastor said.
Reiter said he’s been in contact with commissioner Peggy Choudry of District 1 where Good Samaritan village is located. The pastor said Choudry provided some information in terms of what needs to happen for the mandatory evacuation order to be lifted which would allow some residents to go back home.
“The sewage treatment plant has to be operational; I know there’s a lot of confusion about that, some people say it’s ready to go,” he said. “The electricity that has to be supplied to the sewage treatment plant is KUA, so they have to be in agreement and then emergency management has to be in agreement and then law enforcement has to be in agreement.”
In spite of the difficulties, the displaced residents were surprised today by a News 6 viewer who saw our reporting about their need for a hot meal.
“It was just a private citizen whose heart was just touched by the lord, they brought in some great lasagna and spaghetti today and salad and soup and it was fantastic and, thank you guys,” the pastor said.
The Good Samaritan residents that are staying at a Red Lion Hotel are getting financial assistance from FEMA through their hotel program. A spokesperson for FEMA said once the 30-day program is up, they can apply for an extension.
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