APOPKA, Fla. — It was October of 2024 when Hurricane Milton hit Florida. Following its path, communities in Apopka were left underwater for several weeks.
“I don’t want a repeat of last year,” said Amber Barrick, a long-time Apopka resident. “It is really sad that we’ve gotten to this point, but let’s get the long-term plans there.”
Barrick lives at the Wekiva Village. As of Wednesday, it all looked normal and dry – quite a different picture from 2024, when the same community was left without power for more than a week, and their homes were filled with water streaming down their hallways.
Since February, there’s been a border lake project in the works that would address concerns for the entire city.
However, neighbors say so far, the plan is just that - a plan. “As of today, I don’t believe the plan has been executed,” Barrick said.
According to the City of Apopka, the work should not take long to begin. “[It should start] really soon,” Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson said. “I need to get city council approval; if I can get this document opened, I will present it.” City leaders debated the project on Wednesday, but they were not able to reach an agreement about when the project would start. Orange County claims all the details about their part in the project have been defined. “The county has put in the gauges, has done a study, and prepared all the paperwork to submit to Saint John Water Management,” said Commissioner Christine Moore, who represents District 2.
Channel 9 also confirmed that the City of Apopka was eligible for funds for flooding projects from Hurricane Ian. The money—more than 85 million dollars—was awarded to Orange County through the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery, offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Municipalities could apply for the grant until February, but according to a county official, the City of Apopka never finished its application for the funds.
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