KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Public works officials in Osceola County are preparing for the possibility of heavy rain this weekend.
Some residents are already reporting flooding in their neighborhoods after several days of rain.
On Pleasant Hill Road, resident Diego Gonzalez said flooding is common at his property when storms move through.
“Currently, with the rain, the heavy rainfall, the grass will overflow with water. Then if you tend to go in the property, the grass, the mud starts to sink in with the tires,” Gonzalez said.
Ongoing showers have left parts of his yard covered in water, mud and puddles, he said.
Some neighbors have also seen flooding.
Kissimmee Public Works and Engineering Department Director Ashley Willis said crews have conducted a citywide inspection and are ready to respond if the city sees impacts from potential storms.
“Sometimes you get these storm events that, unfortunately, the city can’t design for because sometimes a hurricane event can drop enough rain that is considered a 500-year storm event,” Willis said. “We still have our crews ready to deploy and address any issues that do arise.”
The city is also working on the Woodside drainage improvement project near Kissimmee Gateway Airport. Willis said the project includes expanding canals and replacing drainage pipes in an area that frequently floods and has needed repairs for years.
“Essentially, we’re expanding the canals all the way to Shingle Creek as well as upsizing our pipe system,” Willis said. “This will all facilitate the conveyance of stormwater and help mitigate flooding.”
Willis said roadways across the city have stormwater pipe systems designed for what officials call a 10-year storm event.
The city has also recently completed two other major stormwater repair projects aimed at reducing flooding, including the Lyndell and the Bermuda Estates projects, he said.
“Both of those (neighborhoods) experienced flooding in the past. We’ve completed both of those projects, and we’ve gotten good feedback,” Willis said. “They’re reporting back that the system is working fine and there’s no issues. We’re very happy about that.”
Crews are expected to remain on standby this weekend in case repairs are needed if flooding occurs.
“Over the weekend, we’ll be monitoring the storm, very carefully. Should the need arise, we have staff that will be on standby and ready to be deployed to address any issues or concerns that do arise,” Willis said.