PORT ORANGE, Fla. — Relief is coming for residents in Port Orange who have dealt with significant flooding through two retention ponds and updates to drainage infrastructure.
County leaders approved the plans for the Portona neighborhood between Charles and Herbert streets and 2nd and Charles streets under the railroad tracks.
Carla Poons is reminded daily of the flooding she’s dealt with multiple times over the past four years. Many of her doors still have watermarks.
“It’s the f-word in this house because it just really had an emotional impact on me. It was tough,” said Poons.
Poons has remodeled her kitchen and redone her floors, doors, and walls. It’s something she feared she’d have to face again.
“Trying to think of clever ways to avoid damage… and this starts in June, and I just don’t want to go through another one, I just don’t know if I can hack it,” said Poons.
Her neighbor, Janice Nixon, has been through it too. She showed us photos of water in her home during Hurricanes Ian and Milton.
“We built water dams for the garage door and every door in the house,” said Nixon.
But their homemade flood mitigation measures may soon not be necessary. A major investment in the area was approved by the county and will put two massive retention ponds in the Portona neighborhood of Port Orange.
It’s part of a larger 21-million-dollar effort to upgrade stormwater systems throughout the city.
“Is it going to stop everything? I don’t think it will, but it’s going to help,” said Nixon.
Neighbor said it’s welcome news with hurricane season just weeks away.
“It’s an answered prayer, honestly, it really is,” said Poons.
The city said the work will take about 2 years to finish.
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