Over 200,000 households in Orange County are currently without power in the wake of Tropical Storm Ian.
According to Orange County and Orlando officials, over 67,000 of those customers are located in Orlando, and over 5,500 are located in St. Cloud. That represents approximately 25% of the Orlando service area.
In Kissimmee, nearly 6,000 customers are currently without power as of this afternoon.
“We are seeing historic levels of flooding,” said Orlando Fire Department Chief Charlie Salazar during an afternoon briefing by city officials. Salazar says many areas around the community with high water levels received at least 11 inches of rain and, in some cases, up to 15 inches of rain.
The water levels have put a strain on the city’s wastewater treatment centers, which are all operating over capacity.
“The amount of water our communities have received has taxed our wastewater treatment system. They’re all operating above capacity, so it is critical for us to conserve water,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
In Orange County, approximately 1,300 residents are currently staying in shelters, with some evacuees heading home and others from serious flood areas arriving this afternoon.
“Residents should continue to shelter in place. We ask that residents limit water use to reduce the impact on wastewater systems,” said Mayor Dyer.
In excess of 250 people have been evacuated from various apartment complexes and residences, according to Chief Salazar.
Mayor Dyer says that at least 49 trees have fallen in the right of ways of various intersections. Additionally, 20 traffic devices around the city are confirmed without power, while 35 are flashing, and 230 are not communicative. The city of Orlando operates approximately 600 traffic lights.
“There’s flooding all over the city. There’s just a number of lakes or other bodies of water that are out of their boundaries, so we don’t know the extent of the damage until that other water recedes,” said Mayor Dyer. Officials say that it is crucial that residents conserve water as much as possible and only use it when needed.
To report downed trees or debris, contact 407-246-HELP. For those who are experiencing issues with downed power lines, call 407-423-9018.