WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. — Leaders for the city of Winter Springs are planning to discuss ways to address severe flooding in the area Thursday morning.
After Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, dozens of Winter Springs residents found themselves dealing with flooding, some for the first time.
What You Need To Know
Winter Springs leaders will discuss a new stormwater master plan after flooding from Ian and Nicole
Engineers studied 46 areas and identified 12 priority flood-risk locations
Proposed improvements include widening channels and adding drainage pipes
City leaders say the plan could reduce flooding anxiety and help secure grant funding
The proposed changes are aimed at preventing severe flood damage from happening again.
“If they don’t fix the problems … it’s just going to happen the same way,” resident Daniel Tucker said.
Tucker lives near Gee Creek, one of several areas identified by the Winter Springs as a flooding hotspot.
During Hurricane Ian in 2022, Tucker’s home flooded.
“When you see sheets of rain coming down, then the whole family starts to panic,” said Tucker.
In total, Kimley-Horn, the firm hired by the city, studied 46 areas of interest but narrowed that list down to 12 priority locations. Those locations are now part of a proposed capital improvement plan.
The identified areas include Gee Creek, Lake Jesup, Little Lake Howell, Soldiers Creek and Howell Creek.
The city’s proposed plan calls for widening drainage channels and adding new pipes in many of those areas.
But Tucker says the problem in his neighborhood is natural vegetation building up in the creek.
“Everything behind our property is protected wetlands. The creek back there is so narrow it can’t hold as much water as the pipes they’re putting up the streams,” said Winter Springs spokesperson Matthew Reeser.
City officials say the plan was written specifically in response to the flooding caused by Ian and Nicole, which overwhelmed existing infrastructure.
“All of those problems need to be addressed, and it’s something that you need to do periodically,” said Reeser
City leaders will formally present the stormwater master plan during a special public meeting on Thursday at 9 a.m., where residents can ask questions and share feedback.