Central Florida Hurricane Dorian After Action Report

Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative 

Hurricane Dorian After Action Report

September 28, 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Executive Summary

This report details the activities undertaken by 12 underserved communities, represented by Community Captain Leads and Community Captains, in Central Florida from August 29, 2019 through September 4, 2019 in association with Hurricane Dorian. Representatives of each of the communities had participated in the Serious Games and Community Forums undertaken in Phase I Stage 1 of the Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative (CFL DRI). 

Image 1. Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative Phase 1, Stage 1. Serious Games 

 

Community Captains from 10 of the communities had been exposed to the Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative’s tools and methods in Phase I Stage 2 of the CFL DRI., which are designed to build social cohesion, and to provide the basis for coordinated grassroots activity in a disaster. Hurricane Dorian was the first real life drill to determine gaps and solutions both in CFL DRI training and process, and in the communities and counties where CFL DRI is working to build resilience.

Image 2. Communications Tools Training in CFL Phase 1, Stage 2. Zoom Call

 

Priority Action Items Identified in this process include:

1. Establish a liaison between the county Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) and the communities, and closer ties to the EOCs

2. Improve communications with LYNX to assure correct information is obtained

3. Establish emergency procedures for flooding in Mercy Drive and Sanford

4. Schedule meeting between leaders and key leaders

5. Address the need for shared resources and co-storage of inventoried resources

6. Budget ahead of time for hurricane season

7. Secure funding for evacuation, transportation and housing for communities

8. Fund more training and a community directed budgeting process for 2020 and future years

9. Education program for communities to understand the impact of higher category hurricanes

The combined efforts of residents of 12 underserved communities  made the following resources available, and coordinated their efforts through the Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative: 11 Pop-up Resilience Hubs, 1 Permanent Resilience Hub,

2 General Shelters, 1 Mental Health Special Needs Shelter, and 1 Shelter for Volunteer Aid Workers

Image 3. Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative Resource Map

Neighborhood Resilience Hub, Community Based Organizations, and Pop-Up Resilience Hub

A Neighborhood Resilience Hub is governed by a Community Based Organization(CBO) and residents in the community it serves. These CBOs are responsible for securing resources for the Neighborhood Resilience Hub, and for articulating its governance structure. A Hub Manager is responsible for the readiness of the Neighborhood Resilience Hub to support the community in the event of a disaster. During the preparedness phase, the Resilience Hubs provide preparedness resources and training to the community, listen to community concerns, and work to respond to community-identified needs that increase social cohesion and resilience. The Resilience Hub becomes active when a hurricane watch or other disaster is declared. Appropriate hurricane (or other emergency) supplies and information will be distributed to the community at the Hub. The Resilience Hub’s capacity and the community’s needs will determine the services offered. A Community Based Organization is a formal or informal group of people, who identify strongly with the place where they live, and are committed to the betterment of their community. Community Based Organizations may be chapters of larger organizations, formal neighborhood associations, churches or service organizations working within a community, or groups within a community that have formed to work for the common good. A pop-up Resilience Hub is a distribution location for supplies secured by a community group that solicits donations and distributes supplies to the community in the event of a disaster. CFL DRI pop-up Resilience Hubs have access to technical support with access to information to promote situational awareness.

In addition to apps used for communication, the CFL DRI Technical Support Team encouraged residents to familiarize themselves with their county Emergency Services website, which they could access through their Community Dashboards, and download these apps:

Image 4. Phone screen shots of the 3 recommended apps

FEMA Mobile AppByte to BitesGas Buddy

                           

 

Efforts were coordinated through the Central Florida Resilience System, Community Dashboards, WhatsApp Groups, a daily Zoom coordination call, and technical support available by phone or text.

Entities Coordinating Preparedness Efforts Through CFL DRI  

 

Detail on Hurricane Dorian Preparedness Activities  (8/31/2019-9/4/2019) in each Community 

Preparedness supplies in communities that participated in the Serious Games, Community Forums, Surveying, and Participatory Budgeting process with the Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative funded their preparedness efforts with a one time grant from the Miami Foundation. Other groups that coordinated their Hurricane Dorian efforts with CFL DRI solicited donations and volunteers. A variety of preparedness supplies were obtained from Osceola Co EMS and Seminole Co EMS. 

   Image 5. Supplies Purchased for Parramore, 

    Holden Heights, Orlo Vista and Mercy Drive

Parramore, Holden Heights, Mercy Drive and Orlo Vista (City of Orlando and Orange County)

Community Captain Lead: Lawanna Gelzer

Community Captains: Dedre Jenkins, Brenda Clark and Dr. Wanda Jones

Each community had a pop-up Resilience Hub. Communities were provided: water, generators (one in each community), and small sums of money for bus fare for people who wanted to evacuate. All food was distributed before the storm, including canned food. Diapers were distributed as well. Because it was the end of the month, people didn’t have funds to prepare. Limited funds were distributed to help those families that came up short. 

The Community Captain Lead and Community Captain for Mercy Drive were able to contact the Flood Hotline, the Stormwater Management Office and other municipal staff and officials to express the community’s concern about flooding, and to request priority status on monitoring and on receiving pumps in the event of flooding. Affiliated CFL DRI groups cooperated on amplifying their message as they were able, given their engagement in preparedness activities. Mercy Drive residents reported on water levels in retention ponds in the deforested 60 acres in close proximity to their homes, and that information was tracked on daily coordination calls. Although Dorian changed course, and ultimately did not have the rain levels that were in the NWS Warning Updates, the retention pond water levels alarmed residents, and ultimately the retention ponds were full to capacity. 

The four hubs were temporary hubs for Hurricane Dorian. Brenda distributed water. Everythings was collected and brought to one of the hubs. Have sent water to the Bahamas with some other supplies, but have almost 3 pallets of water. Down the line an ideal design would be central in the community or pop ups. The Bloomberg planning grant will have Parramore, Holden Heights, Downtown Orlando and Mercy Drive.  

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

Due to lack of storage space, much of the remaining supply was shipped to the Bahamas to help with relief efforts. Supplies that remaining stored in the community include 3 pallets of water and some baby food.

Kissimmee, Azalea Park, Downtown Orlando (City of Orlando, Osceola County and Orange County, with shelters in Seminole County)

Community Captain Lead: Father Jose Rodriguez

Father Jose Rodriguez coordinated efforts out of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Azalea Park. They provided a Resilience Hub, with food and hurricane preparedness supplies, in addition to providing two emergency shelters: one for mental health special needs and one for volunteer aid workers. The need in the minority community during Hurricane Dorian was to provide PTSD counselors for people who had survived Hurricane Maria, and were displaced to Central Florida. There were 2 mental health counselors offering group sessions once a day, and counselors dropping in in the middle of the night. They also responded to transportation failures by paying for Uber transportation for people who were trying to purchase supplies, get to the bank, or go to the Resilience Hub; but were stranded by suspended or irregular bus service. When the food pantry could not be restocked due to Second Harvest capacity issues, people in the shelters were taken to local restaurants for a meal. 

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

The food pantry has been restocked.

     

Images 6 and 7. Coordination with Seminole County EOC and Volunteers to deliver preparedness supplies to the Resilience Hub and to the churches in the Hub and Spoke Distribution Plan

East Altamonte Springs/Winwood (Seminole County)

Community Captain: Cheryl Rogers

This FL DRI Community has a Resilience Hub at The Apostolic Church of Jesus, established by church resolution. The East Altamonte Springs/Winwood DRI has engaged in planning with Seminole County EMS, and has received and stocked sandbags and tarps during their preparedness phase. As Hurricane Dorian approached, church members who had stocked supplies at their homes, moved them to the Resilience Hub, and the hub and spoke distribution plan was activated, whereby sand bags and tarps were delivered from the Resilience Hub to the churches participating in the Hub and Spoke distribution structure.

The East Altamonte/Winwood DRI reached out to Seminole County EOC regarding the very high water levels in 9 retention ponds due to flooding concerns as Hurricane Dorian approached.

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

The Resilience Hub has sandags, tarps and a variety of other supplies.

Image 8. Shopping for Resilience Hub Supplies

South Apopka (Orange County) 

Community Captains: Mabel Stevens and Robyn Thomas

Hope CommUnity Center, served as a fiscal agent, and planned to distribute supplies after, but not before the storm. Hope CommUnity Center purchased supplies, and paid the two Community Captains. The two Community Captains coordinated contributions to New Destiny Christian Center, which served as a pop-up Resilience Hub. The Community Captains were in the community responding to needs. They reported needs to Hope Community Center, and on the daily calls. Several of the requests were posted in the Resilience System in the We Have/We Need Forum.

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

The Community Captains are in discussion with two churches to serve as pop-up Resilience Hubs. One of the churches is not centrally located in the community, but has trucks, and would be able to deliver supplies into neighborhoods. The other is smaller, and more centrally located. Hope Community Center would like to post flyers with information on the two Resilience Hubs.

Eatonville (Orange County)

NAACP Leadership: Dawn Curtis

NAACP established a pop-up Resilience Hub at the Eatonville Police Station. Supplies were  donated to the site, and distributed to those that needed them.

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

The supplies were distributed, and there is no long term supply storage.

Winter Park (Orange County)

Winter Park Housing Authority: Lashonda Lovett

Lashonda Lovett has recently assumed her role at Winter Park Housing Authority and is interested in putting processes and procedures in place that increase situational awareness and safety for residents. 

 

Sanford (Seminole County)

Dream Defenders Leadership: Danielle Adams

Dream Defenders opened a pop-up Resilience Hub in Sanford at Greater Providence Worship Center under the leadership of Danielle Adams. She created a donations campaign to stock the Hub, and joined the CFL DRI coordinations platform.s That included registering in the Resilience System, joining the 3pm coordination calls and the Community Captains WhatsApp Group, and calling in for technical assistance as needed.

   Image 9. Flyer soliciting Donations for 

the Sanford Pop-up Resilience Hub

Status for the Remainder of the Hurricane Season:

The supplies were distributed to other communities where supplies were needed, and where there was capacity to store supplies. What could not be accommodated  by other communities with warehousing space was sent to the Bahamas to assist with relief efforts there. There is no long term storage space.

Roles of Supporting Organizations

 

Hurricane Dorian Volunteer Electronic Sign Up Form

 

 

Detail from Sign Up Responses

 

Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative Technical Support

CFL DRI is supported by the Central Florida Resilience System,  its associated Community Dashboards and WhatsApp Work Groups. Summaries of posts made in the WhatsApp Work Groups from August 29, 2019 to September 4, 2019 appear in Appendix B.

The We Have/We Need Forum in the Central Florida Resilience System  is a bartering forum on which community leaders and those registered in the Resilience System can post their needs or the resources they have to offer in a secure environment.  Water and other supplies were obtained through this forum.

Image 10. The We Have/We Need Forum in the Central Florida Resilience System

 

Community Dashboards

Community dashboards were created after CFL DRI Phase I Stage 2, and Community Captains had not been trained on how to use them yet. Links to the dashboards were distributed through the WhatsApp Groups. There was a Hurricane Dorian Panel inserted into each dashboard as Hurricane Dorian approached, with direct button links to:

• The Community’s Resilience Network within the Resilience System: a secure neighborhood conversation space 

• We Have/We Need Forum to barter resources

• Relevant Emergency Management Service website

• Relevant Shelter Update webpage

• Daily Call Meeting Notes

• Relevant Sandbag Location Update Page (While Sandbags were Available)

The Central Florida interactive Resources Map was also inserted on each dashboard, together with an explanation. When the State of Florida Open Shelter Map was released, the link to it was immediately placed on the dashboards.

The following pages have pictures of one of the Community Dashboards for each County with the Hurricane Dorian panel inserted.  Osceola County’s Shelter Update was posted in Spanish, and was immediately inserted onto the Osceola County Dashboard and on the WhatsApp  Groups.

 

Image 11. Orange County Hurricane Dorian Dashboard  for Azalea Park after the Sandbag Button was Removed

 

Image 12. Seminole County Hurricane Dorian Dashboard for Azalea Park after the Sandbag Button was Removed

 

Image 13. Osceola County Hurricane Dorian Dashboard for Azalea Park after the Sandbag Button was Removed

WhatsApp Work Groups

Posts made directly into community chats on WhatsApp by the Resilience System Knowledge Management Specialist. These may be the most up to date hurricane reports or information regarding what is in stock at local stores, or any information needed by people in the field that the Knowledge Management Specialist sees a need for when monitoring the local chats. A summary of the posts in the WhatsApp Groups appears in APPENDIX B.

Resource Mapping

A gap identified in Phase 1 Stage 2 of the CFL DRI Community Forums and subsequent Surveys was accurate information about shelters. The Central Florida Disaster Resilience Initiative Resources Map was the tool developed to address this gap. The map was updated when new information came in. It mapped CFL DRI Resilience Hubs and Shelters , and then the Shelters in Orange Co, Seminole Co and Osceola Co as they were announced. The status of the shelters, and a link to the relevant Shelter Update webpages was posted in the pop up box associated with each icon on the map.  A link to the map was posted in the WhatsApp groups after each update, and as the map was updated, the updates appeared immediately on the maps embedded on each community dashboard. 

Daily Coordination Calls

Daily coordination calls on Zoom took place at 3pm daily. People who Community Captains or other CFL DRI affiliated groups encountered that wanted to coordinate efforts were invited onto these calls. Participation on these calls ranged from 9 participants and 3 Community Captains to 22 participants and 5 Community Captains. 

DAILY COORDINATION PHONE CALL  NOTES

8/29/2019 - 9/4/2019

Daily Zoom Coordination Phone Call Notes:

Preliminary Check-In call 8/29/2019:  22 participants, 5 Community Captains

Central FL Hurricane Dorian Preparedness 8/31/2019: 12 participants, 6 Community Captains

Central FL Hurricane Dorian Preparedness 9/1/2019: 9 participants, 3 Community Captains

Central FL Hurricane Dorian Preparedness 9/2/2019: 15 participants, 6 Community Captains

Central FL Hurricane Dorian Preparedness 9/3/2019: 11 participants, 4 Community Captains

Central FL Hurricane Dorian Preparedness 9/4/2019:  10 participants, 4 Community Captains

 

Innovation and Best Practices

BEST PRACTICE: Preparedness Planning in Dialogue with County Emergency Services

East Altamonte Springs/Winwood DRI met regularly prior to Hurricane Season. The Apostolic Church of Jesus committed to establishing a Resilience Hub in an unused parsonage house. The East Altamonte Springs/Winwood DRI worked with Seminole County EOC on stocking the Resilience Hub, and on disaster planning. 

Image 14. Slide of East Altamonte/Winwood DRI Accomplishments

BEST PRACTICE: Pop-up Resilience Hubs

The pop-up Resilience Hubs were responsive. The Community Captains and the locations of the pop-up Resilience Hubs are well known in the communities. There is no need to wait for a single public official to open the door(s). They are responsive to community needs rather than having standard supplies stocked. Community members ican have keys, so they can help people without depending on others outside the community.

BEST Practice: Evacuation Shelter for Mental Health Special Needs 

Canterbury Retreat and Conference Center (Fr. Gonzales is on the Board)  was used as a pop-up shelter for people with mental health needs. They have used it in the last three (3) hurricanes. It is flexible, and we just meet the needs of the community at the time. 

 

BEST PRACTICE: Islamic Center Communications Plan

Two disasters in a row their message has been getting out clearly.  They have a very effective communications plan. Whenever they open their shelter(s), they are excellent about getting their message out. 

BEST PRACTICE:  Grassroots financial innovation to fill resource gaps.

East Altamonte Springs/Winwood Community Captain Cheryl Rogers and Parramore/Orlo Vista/Holden Heights/Mercy Drive Community Captain Lead Lawanna Gelzer called for technical support to witness a verbal contract. The substance of the contract was the short term loan of funds to purchase hurricane supplies, to be refunded upon receipt of funds from The Miami Foundation, which were en route. The verbal contract was witnessed over the phone, a text was written of the verbal agreement and texted to the phones of the people in the field. As a result, each of the communities was able to have a generator.

Image 15. Purchasing Resilience Hub Supplies after Innovating a solution to the funding delay.

 

Gaps and potential solutions were discussed on the 9/3/2019 Zoom call and at a post action meeting at Christ the King Episcopal Church on  9/9/2019. A Summary of the Gaps and Solutions appears below.

GAPPROPOSED SOLUTION

 

APPENDIX A

WHATSAPP WORK GROUP CHAT 

SUMMARY TIMELINE

8/29/2019 - 9/4/2019

CFL DRI Community Captains Work Group

CFL DRI Dorian Response

In the Chat Summaries below, posts in green text were in the CFL DRI Dorian Response Work Group. 

CFL DRI Dorian Response Work Group

This Work Group, appearing in green text, has posts of information and resources that were communicated either to Community Captains through the CFL DRI Community Captains WhatsApp chat or through the daily coordination phone calls. Additional information regarding interaction with outside agencies, or with incoming Community Captains, was also exchanged here. Posts regarding obtaining supplies posted on the We Have/We Need Forum also appeared here.

CFL DRI Community Captains Work Group

This Work Group, appearing in blue text, has posts to increase Community Captain situational awareness, actionable information, and Community Captain coordination discussions and documentation of their work taking place in the communities.

CFL DRI Hurricane Dorian WhatsApp Chat Timeline:

8/29/2019 

• CFL DRI Community Captain Work Group, which was created 1/2/2018 to coordinate training of  Community Captains from Orlando underserved communities on communications during disasters (currently 23 participants), begins dialogue about Hurricane Dorian with contact from Riccardo Soto Lopez, who is scheduled to return to East Altamonte from deployment in Puerto Rico.

• Discussion centers on preparing East Altamonte for a direct hit, moving 100 blue tarps from Riccardo’s carport to the Resilience Hub at Apostolic Church of Jesus in East Altamonte.

• Suggest that all CCs download FEMA Mobile App

• First Coordination call

8/30/2019 

• CFL DRI Dorian Response WhatsApp Group created to provide technical support coordination for CFL communities.  (currently 9 participants)

• Evac Orders

• Orange Co Shelters list release of list announced

• Hurricane Dorian press conference

• Storm tracking maps & NWS coverage

• Spanish emergency information

• First draft of CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs

• Link to Orange Co sandbags map

• Orange Co Shelters map

• Eatonville request for non-perishables & water discussion of information needed for

 the We Have We Need Forum

Resilience System post on Home Depot in Eatonville still has water in stock

• Expense discussion w Resilience System Knowledge Management Specialist providing price for a 24 pack

• Carlos posts receipt of pallet of water and tarps for Sanford from Seminole Co EMS

• Posts about contacting Second Harvest, who said they are disaster relief AFTER the storm and don’t stock distribution centers in advance

• Discussion of locating pop-up Hubs on high ground

• Coordination of water donations

• Locate flat bottom boats or flotation devices in low lying areas

• Battery operated fans post

• Operation Blue Roof post

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs added

• Video Instructions on how to register in a Florida Resilience System

• We Have/We Need bartering Forum use instructions

• Post: /City of Orlando referral to County for list of shelters

• Begin tracking the hurricane, posting NWS tracking maps, news, and information on emergency shelters & sandbag locations

• Volunteer Sign-up form created and pushed out to all affiliated organizations

• Video Instructions on how to register in a Florida Resilience System

8/31/2019

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters, sandbag locations,  and Resilience Hubs now on each community dashboard

• Orange Co Hurricane Dorian Update 4 w link

• Zoom meeting Reminder

• Sanford lead joins group & shares Accepting Donations flyer

• Post regarding first aid supplies/bags to take into the woods for the homeless there

• CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs added

• Orange Co Hurricane update posted

• Zoom daily 3pm meetings begin & Zoom link posted

• Dream Defenders begins accepting donations for a Sanford pop-up Resilience Hub

9/1/2019

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters, locations  and Resilience Hubs

• NWS Reports

• Email address and phone number corrections

• Solar powered outdoor lights

• Airbnb info

• Seminole Co flood warning

• EOC orange Co does not distribute supplies to community groups like Seminole Co and Osceola Co do

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs added

• Links to county communications posted

• Post about purchasing outdoor solar lights at Lowes or Home Depot

• Request for CCs to take pics of water levels in retention ponds in communities concerned about flooding w date and time

• Eatonville pop-up Resilience Hub begins stocking up

• Post about Gov DeSantis authorizing EBT benefits release tomorrow w link

• Orange Co update

• Emergency Contact Info released by Rep Kamia Brown (S Apopka/Ocoee/Pine Hills/Winter Garden)

• Request for Red Cross contact in Sanford

• Updated list of Mandatory and Voluntary Evac orders

• 2 new Community Dashboards created (Eatonville & Sanford)

• Info on Airbnb

9/2/2019

• NOAA flood predictions

• Hurricane Local Statement for East Central FL

• Tracking rain predictions/flood predictions

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters, and Resilience Hubs

• Tax late fees and fines, expired driver’s license and tag renewals late fees waived

• OUC Outage reporting phone numbers, text, and online contacts

• SNAP benefits info 

• Seminole Co Flood warning w link

• Hurricane Local Statement

• NOAA statement for all relevant geographies (Orange, Osceola and Seminole Cos)

• Fr Rodriguez (Christ the King Episcopal Church) added to Group

• NWS Updates posted

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs added

• Worker Safety during Hurricane Dorian post with link to survey

• CFL Resilience System Dashboard Summary: Evac Orders, Transportation, Curfews, Open Shelters, Airbnb, Power Outage tracking and SNAP benefits links

• Pics of water and more tarps delivered to the East Altamonte/Winwood Resilience Hub at Apostolic Church of Jesus & the Hub and Spoke Distribution Centers in East Altamonte/Winwood by Seminole Co Emergency Services

9/3/2019

• Tropical Storm Warning Orange Co am

• Request for notes from prior 3pm call

• Tropical Storm Warning Orange Co pm

• Pictures of East Altamonte CC and CC Lead for Parramore, Holden Heights, Orlo Vista and Mercy Drive

• NWS Warnings

• Liz Gilbert (FL Student Power) added to group

• Lashonda Levitt added to group

• Updates on LYNX transportation

• NWS Seminole, Apopka and Orange Co Flood Advisory posted

9/4/2019

• Shelter closing

• Clean up Safety after a disaster posted w rain predictions

• Concerns about flooding in Sanford, Mercy Drive and Orlo Vista

• Phased evac order lifted

• Updated CFL DRI Resources map posted w all shelters and Resilience Hubs status updated

• Fr Jose reporting closure of their Special Needs Shelter & the Shelter for Aid Workers

• Landfill & Transfer station update/waived yard waste fees

• Fr Jose offers to host a post action discussion at Christ the King Episcopal Church

• Scheduling posts

APPENDIX B

EMAIL FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS REGARDING FLOODING CONCERNS

 IN 

MERCY DRIVE

Email addressed to:

Lisa Henry, Streets and Stormwater Division Manager    ***@***.***

Richard Lee, Stormwater Assistant Division Manager  ***@***.*** 

Email CC’d to:

Mayor Buddy Dyer     ***@***.*** 

Chief of Staff  Frank Billingsley  ***@***.*** 

Orlando Fire Department  Chief Roderick Williams    ***@***.*** 

Constituent Relations     Reginald B. McGill     ***@***.***

Director of Sustainability   Chris Castro    ***@***.******@***.***

Office of Emergency Management  Emergency Manager  Manuel D. Soto, Jr., CEM

***@***.*** 

Dear Ms. Henry and Mr. Lee,

We are emailing to bring your attention, and the attention of Mayor Dyer, Commissioner Regina Hill, and other pertinent city staff, to the increased risk of flood that has been created by construction activity in Mercy Drive; and to request priority status for sandbag delivery and pumps to protect our homes from floods. Water levels in retention ponds are currently alarming, and rain from Hurricane Dorian will bring more precipitation in the coming days.

Trees and green space are critical to stormwater management during rain events, like hurricanes. Risk of flood has been created in our community by removing the trees and wetlands that have protected us from flooding, in order to provide impervious paving for an industrial park, which exacerbates flooding.

Our community is working to improve our preparedness, and will be working together to help our neighbors during hurricane response. We believe that as residents of Orlando we must work to be prepared for, and be resilient to the impacts of a changing climate, and that it is the city’s responsibility to address the increased risk of flood created by the removal of natural systems that have mitigated against flooding in Mercy Drive in the past. 

Please reply with specific steps that will be taken to prioritize the monitoring of stormwater and response to flooding in Mercy drive this week.