Osceola County received over $13 million from FEMA to pay for flood and wind resistance projects. The aim is to protect the region against future storms.
Congressman Darren Soto, D-Orlando, and Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer said Thursday that most of the funding is going to the Buenaventura Lakes Subdivision in Kissimmee. The area had intense flooding during previous storms, like Hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Soto said this grant – along with other restoration projects from the county – is just the beginning.
“After seeing the storms’ impact, residents were displaced, homes were inundated and lives were ruined,” Soto said. “Since then, Commissioner Janer and I began a journey to stop this from happening again.”
The federal funding will help improve the local drainage systems, stormwater collection and will provide protection against a 50-year storm event. The grant sets aside around $10 million for flood control, and the other $3 million is set aside for wind protection efforts for traffic signals at five intersections across the county.
The traffic project aims to keep traffic signals operational through future storms by replacing the span-wire-mounted signalization with the mast arm mounting. The signals will be protected from 150 mph winds – a standard set by the Florida Department of Transportation
Osceola County Commissioner Viviana Janer said before this grant, the county was already implementing its own restoration and flooding mitigation projects. She said thousands of people will benefit from these projects supported by FEMA’s grant.
“We've been working as fast as we can and putting in as much funding as we can as a county,” Janer said. “We have a significant investment, and we are dedicated to ensuring, I personally want to ensure, that we get these improvements made.”
