Parts of Seminole County near both the Little and Big Econlockhatchee rivers are experiencing record levels of flooding, while 95,000 people in the county are still without power.
Thousands of residents in the cities of Oviedo, Geneva, and Chuluota are dealing with multiple feet of flooding as a result of large amounts of overflow in the Econlockhatchee rivers produced by rainfall from Hurricane Ian.
Low-lying areas have been hit the hardest, including the Oviedo Forest, Ekana Green, and Riverside at Twin Rivers.
Lockwood Boulevard is currently closed in the area of Riverside Park, and residents south of Riverside Park are being redirected through southbound Lockwood Boulevard to exit the area.
Oviedo officials have reopened sandbag operations at 1725 Evans Street as of Friday morning.
The water levels continued to rise on Friday for multiple residences as a result of spillover from the Little Econlockhatchee River and Big Econlockhatchee River. In one incident, a woman whose car was swept away by an extreme current in flood waters at Dean Road and Lake Underhill Road was saved by deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Responding deputies used 200 feet of rope to save the woman, who was trapped in 10-foot deep rushing water.
Wildlife, including multiple alligators, were spotted around the area as a result.
Additional cities in Seminole County are reporting similar scenes. As of this morning, over 95,000 residences in Seminole County were without power.
In Winter Springs, a boil water advisory has been in effect since yesterday for all residents. City officials say that at least 376 residences are without water. On Friday, Seminole County officials distributed thousands of bottles of water to residents at Winter Springs High School.
Winter Springs officials say that multiple bridges and roads are closed around the city due to flooding of Howell Creek, Bear Creek, and Gee Creek. Those include Murphy Road, Northern Way, and stretches of Winter Springs Boulevard, among many others. Officials say some of the hazards are impassable and unsafe to bear weight, and that bridge structures will remain closed until repairs are made.
In Altamonte Springs, multiple lakes, including Cranes Roost, have overflowed onto paths and streets nearby.
Seminole County will host two sandbag locations at 217 2nd Street in Geneva and 4150 Highway 17 in Sanford. Both locations will open on Saturday, October 1, at 8 a.m.
For any residents that are currently in need of non-emergency services, contact Seminole County at 407-665-6650. For storm updates, visit the Seminole County Prepare website.