OVIEDO, Fla. \u2013 What if you could know your home was going to flood \u2014 and how badly \u2014 before it actually does?<\/p>\n
The City of Oviedo is weighing whether to invest more than $216,000 in a real-time flood forecasting system that aims to answer that question. On Monday evening, the city council will vote on the proposal: spend $216,018.56 on software and engineering services that could predict flooding days before a storm makes landfall. But not everyone is convinced it\u2019s money well spent \u2014 including the mayor.<\/p>\n
What the technology does<\/p>\n
The system, called FloodWise\u2122, is a software-as-a-service platform developed by Winter Springs-based Streamline Technologies, Inc. (SLT). It works by tracking specific \u201cflood risk points\u201d \u2014 locations like roadway intersections, homes and critical infrastructure \u2014 and forecasting whether they\u2019ll flood in real time and up to several days into the future.<\/p>\n
When modeled water levels reach a warning threshold, the system flags the location in orange on a dashboard. When levels hit an alert threshold, the indicator turns red \u2014 giving emergency managers a clear, visual picture of where to act first.<\/p>\n
The technology isn\u2019t new to Central Florida. SLT previously developed a FloodWise system for Orange County using the same Econ River basin model. During Hurricane Ian, the platform predicted flooding hotspots in Orlo Vista three days before the actual flooding occurred, allowing the county to issue evacuation notices faster.<\/p>\n
Oviedo\u2019s focus area: the Econ River, Sweetwater Creek<\/p>\n
The Oviedo system would cover approximately 9.3 square miles of the city that falls within the Big and Little Econlockhatchee (Econ) River watersheds \u2014 areas with a well-documented history of flooding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Econ River and Sweetwater Creek both have histories,\u201d said Mayor Megan Sladek. \u201cThey carry water in massive quantities towards Lake Jesup, and there\u2019s no way to get to that body of water except through these natural flooding rivers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Documents attached to Monday\u2019s city council agenda show the engineering and technical work would be led by Ardurra Group, Inc., one of the city\u2019s continuing civil engineering consultants, with SLT serving as a subconsultant. The project is expected to take approximately 18 months from the notice to proceed.<\/p>\n
Mayor pulls item for discussion, questions return on investment<\/p>\n
The proposal was originally placed on the consent agenda \u2014 a block of items typically approved without debate. Sladek pulled it, putting it up for open discussion and a separate vote.<\/p>\n
Her reason? She\u2019s not sure if the investment is worth it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a cool thing, and it\u2019s a fun-sounding gadget to have,\u201d Sladek said. \u201cAnd if it was free, I\u2019d say, \u2018yes, let\u2019s do this thing.\u2019 But when we were talking about trying to cut the fat, I would say that giving people a couple more hours or detail about how badly they\u2019ll flood, like if you flood one inch or you flood three feet, what\u2019s it matter?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sladek pointed to Hurricane Ian as an example of hard-learned lessons \u2014 and said the city may already know enough from experience alone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI look at this and think, \u2018Well, the rain is coming. We can\u2019t stop the rain. We saw what Ian did.\u2019 Maybe we can anecdotally remember that, yes, these places will flood,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recommended people evacuate during Ian. And some people just didn\u2019t do it, because we had no data,\u201d Sladek added. \u201cNow that there is data, there is a predictive model.\u201d<\/p>\n
She encouraged residents with strong opinions to show up and speak.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf people think it\u2019s a great idea, and they really want to have a lot of detail about the extent of flooding, they should come and speak out in favor of it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Building on existing models \u2014 and saving money in the process<\/p>\n
One of the key selling points of the FloodWise\u2122 platform is its ability to build on modeling work Oviedo has already paid for. According to Streamline Technologies President Gregory Sauter, the system\u2019s StormWise hydrology and hydraulics engine is the only one capable of directly importing the city\u2019s existing HC-SWMM models \u2014 potentially saving hundreds of thousands of dollars by avoiding a full rebuild.<\/p>\n
Seminole County also recently completed an updated Big and Little Econ Basin Study, which Ardurra would incorporate into the new system. The result: a more accurate, current model without starting from scratch.<\/p>\n
How it would be paid for<\/p>\n
The $216,018.56 project cost would be covered through a combination of existing stormwater funds and a budget amendment. The FY 2025-26 Stormwater Fund (Fund 410) includes $99,750 in professional services already earmarked for the system. An additional $76,269 from the stormwater basin studies professional services account would be redirected to the project, and a $40,000 budget amendment \u2014 transferring funds from the Stormwater Repairs and Maintenance account \u2014 would cover the remainder.<\/p>\n
The FloodWise\u2122 platform was advertised as a sole source purchase on Vendorlink on Dec. 9, 2025. No competing vendors responded.<\/p>\n
A tip from the mayor \u2014 storm season or not<\/p>\n
Regardless of how the council votes, Sladek had a practical reminder for all Oviedo residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake pictures of your house and take a live video of your house every year,\u201d she said. \u201cSo you have something documented \u2014 what was my house like before the hurricane came \u2014 and do it now, so it\u2019s uploaded and safe before a storm comes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Oviedo City Council meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall at 400 Alexandria Blvd.<\/p>\n
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