Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez and Attorney General Ashley Moody visited Good Samaritan Village in Kissimmee on Tuesday to assess flood damage in the area caused by Hurricane Ian. The senior community was placed in a mandatory evacuation last week after many of the residents refused to leave their flooded homes amid the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
“This is an example of how your sheriff’s deputies, the men and women who have been out here around the clock, were ready and were prepared. They also worked in tandem with the National Guard who was called out by Governor DeSantis,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said at Good Samaritan Village in Kissimmee.
In the background of the news conference crews were in out in the water sampling not only for the depth of the water but also the current quality and safety of the water, which may determine when residents can return to their homes.
The attorney general went on to say, “This is one of the worst storms to ever hit the United States of America, clearly one of the worst storms to ever hit Florida, and Sheriff, you should be commended and the work of your deputies should be commended, not just for what you’ve done thus far, but for what we know this will continue to be a time of hard work.”
Standing alongside the attorney general was Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, “That last night when we did the mandatory evacuation, there were probably about 40 people that we pulled out, some we’re stuck in cars, trying to drive out, including elderly people. I just want to thank the Governor for enacting the National Guard. They were checking one area as we were checking the high water areas. This is the worst we’ve seen, last time it wasn’t this bad.
Osceola County Chairman Brandon Arrington spoke about the mandatory evacuation during a news conference last week, “We are making this decision because for the safety of not only the residents but also our first responders who have been responding and recovering people all day long.”
The senior living community is on the south banks of Shingle Creek, and officials were concerned last Friday that Hurricane Ian flood waters could have risen even more making things worse, and much more dangerous.