Design work is nearing completion for a long-anticipated Orange Camp Road overhaul in Volusia County, Florida, raising hopes that a flood-troubled area may finally get drainage relief.
Residents described a busy corridor where high water and growing traffic are already regular frustrations, and the proposal would widen that stretch of road.
Here's what to know
According to ClickOrlando, Volusia County officials want council members to approve a design firm for the first part of the widening effort, covering Orange Camp Road from Woodland Boulevard to Kirkaldry Court.
For that section just outside DeLand city limits, the plan calls for retention ponds, additional lanes, and possibly a roundabout.
Residents told the station that flooding has been a problem there for years, and the county has ranked Orange Camp Road among its top road priorities for this type of upgrade.
Annette Stengo, who lives near the now-vacant parcels along the roadway, said the earlier home demolitions left neighbors wondering what the next step would be.
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"At one point they had the hose going from Orange Camp all the way to our rear retention pond," Stengo told ClickOrlando. "So when I saw the houses being knocked down, it … seemed unfinished, like there needed more to be done."
As part of the lead-up to the larger road and drainage project, the county bought and removed several homes to open space for the planned improvements.
More background
County officials said the work aims to address two issues at once: flooding and traffic congestion.
Orange Camp Road remains only two lanes, but the county said it now serves as a major route in the DeLand area and has seen a significant increase in traffic.
Stengo said the corridor can be hard to navigate even on ordinary days, not only when bad weather hits.
"With the traffic, sometimes I'll usually go out that exit because getting out here and turning left sometimes is quite difficult," she noted.
A second resident, Sheila, told the station the flooding danger can leave people with few options.
"People get stuck in the flood sometimes and there's nowhere we got to go," she said, describing the effect on evacuation, errands, and routine travel.
Sheila said her more than 20 years in DeLand have shown her how quickly the area is expanding, with many houses being built, which adds to the urgency.
What's being done?
By seeking council approval to hire a design firm, Volusia County is positioning the first section of the project for detailed planning rather than leaving the corridor in limbo after the home demolitions.
That first section gives the county a defined starting point for addressing both stormwater and traffic flow. Retention ponds help manage water, while added lanes and a potential roundabout could make the corridor safer and easier to navigate.
The county has already made one of its most visible commitments by buying and demolishing several homes along Orange Camp Road to create space for the work. That means the project is no longer just conceptual; the corridor's physical footprint has already begun to change.
Where can I learn more?
Flooding, drainage problems, and storm threats are affecting communities in Florida and beyond.
• In Hoboken, New Jersey, residents said critical storm drains were paved over, worsening street flooding.
• A company executive outlined flood prevention methods as hurricane season intensified.
• In central Florida, flash flood threat grew as tropical moisture soaked parched ground.
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