BUENAVENTURA LAKES, Fla. — Days of heavy downpours have some Central Florida communities on edge as Osceola County continues drainage improvement projects in Buenaventura Lakes, where Hurricane Ian flooded homes and trapped residents in 2022.
In Pebble Pointe, homeowner Reinaldo Gallindez said he and his wife were asleep at their home on Pickfair Court when rushing water woke them early Sept. 29, 2022.
“The water came in through that window, went up and over,” Gallindez said.
Gallindez said his entire home, front yard and backyard were underwater, with 18 inches of water inside the house.
“I called my other neighbor (at) two in the morning and said, ‘Hey, we’re flooding big time. You guys need to get up and you need to shut down all your electrical stuff. Unplug everything,’” he said.
Hurricane Ian moved through Kissimmee overnight and stalled over Buenaventura Lakes, dumping heavy rain on an area already prone to flooding. Floodwaters turned streets into rivers and trapped Gallindez and some of his neighbors inside their homes.
“The National Guard came, and they came with the little boats in the big truck and stuff,” Gallindez said.
More than a dozen of his neighbors were pulled from the floodwaters, including one who shared video of her rescue with Spectrum News 13.
Since then, Osceola County’s Environment and Public Lands Department and Public Works have increased efforts to improve drainage in the area.
“It was kind of the perfect storm in terms of rain,” Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer said.
Janer said the 500-year storm hit an area with an outdated drainage system and decades-old infrastructure.
“Even before that, we started looking and planning for these issues because it takes a long time not only to study but also to fund and then to actually go ahead and execute a plan to address flooding issues,” Janer said.
Crews broke ground in 2023 on more than a dozen projects, including road widening, pipe repairs and the installation of trash skimmers.
In March, FEMA approved about $14 million in grants for drainage improvement projects designed to move stormwater out faster and reduce flood risks in Buenaventura Lakes. The projects include installing new stormwater drains, larger pipes and building a drainage outlet on Simpson Road to move water out of the area.
“This project specifically takes 140 homes that were in that area and in that flooding area and reduces their risks enormously,” Janer said. “These projects will improve and reduce flooding risk. It will improve the resiliency in the area.”
Some improvements are complete, while others are expected to be finished by mid-2027. Gallindez said he has noticed some of the work in the area.
“Hopefully, the bigger piping will work,” he said.
The county also said it is using software designed to help predict and pinpoint flooding up to three days ahead.
Osceola County has a map as well as a breakdown of the various projects and detailed Buenaventura Lakes Drainage Improvements plans, including streets and timelines on its website.