Orange County to use $85M to support local projects

Of the 14 approved, two are in the city of Ocoee and a third is in Winter Garden.

By Michael Eng
| 2:49 p.m. June 3, 2025

Hurricane

Orange County will use $85 million in federal disaster relief funding to help several local government jurisdictions with flood mitigation efforts and infrastructure projects.

The funding, provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development following Hurricane Ian, will support 14 local projects, including two in the city of Ocoee and a third in Winter Garden. Other projects include five in Orange County, four in the city of Orlando and one each in Winter Park and the town of Eatonville.

The city of Winter Garden will receive $6,562,500 for its Bethune, Edgeway, Basin, Maxey & Dunbar Drainage Project. This project will help mitigate flooding of existing homes in the east Winter Garden area by adding inlets and upgraded stormwater systems (ponds and piping). The project consists of surveying the area, stormwater modeling and plans development to maximize the collection of stormwater and implementation of improvements.

The city of Ocoee will receive $500,000 for its Lake Lotta and Northwest Ditch Basin Studies. These studies to support comprehensive planning activities based on the Interconnected Channel and Pond Routing modeling that will prioritize mitigation measures to reduce or eliminate long-term flood risks. The studies also will help the city develop a Watershed Master Plan to support drainage improvement projects, avoid drainage issues in developing areas, and improve the city’s rating with the Credit Risk Sharing system.

Ocoee also will receive $486,627 for its Roper Parkway and Capital Court Drainage Improvement Project. This project includes drainage improvements to increase the flood resiliency of the communities located in the western portion of the Lake Lotta Basin. Improvement includes installation of upgraded culverts to provide a larger drainage way for stormwater to be safely conveyed through the basin.

This funding is part of a $219.7 million allocation received by Orange County through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant — Disaster Recovery. In addition to public infrastructure, $35 million remains available for homeowners with unresolved Hurricane Ian damage through the Orange County Recovers program, with applications open through the summer.

For more information about Orange County Recovers, visit Orange County Recovery Program: Assistance After Hurricane Ian.

author

Michael Eng

As a child, Editor and Publisher Michael Eng collected front pages of the Kansas City Star during Operation Desert Storm, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would pursue a career in journalism. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri — Columbia School of Journalism. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife and three children, or playing drums around town. He’s also a sucker for dad jokes.