ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After a year of digging out three retention ponds in the Orlo Vista neighborhood, a project to help with flooding in the area is approaching a milestone.
According to Orange County, excavation work will be substantially complete by the beginning of the 2024 hurricane season.
Officials said the excavation will nearly triple the capacity of the ponds that overflowed during hurricanes Irma and Ian. Rain from the storms flooded several homes in the nearby neighborhood.
When work is complete, the ponds will be 10 feet deeper than before the excavation.
“With this excavation, we’ve created millions of gallons of additional storage for stormwater run-off,” said Liliana Ramirez, assistant project manager. “As a result, residents and their homes are going to be much better protected than in previous years.”
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James Carson’s home was flooded during Hurricane Ian and he said he’s hopeful there won’t be any problems this hurricane season.
“There is an improvement back there because ponds are deeper so it will hold more water,” Carson said. “When it comes to man-made pond versus mother nature, that’s to be determined.”
Most of the $23 million project is being funded through federal grants and about $4 million is funded by Orange County tax dollars.
Officials said the goal is to make the ponds capable of handling a 100-year storm, or 14.4 inches of water in three days.
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