Neighbors near Rouse Road say they lost everything in Hurricane Ian floods

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Dumpsters full of belongings line the roads of an Orange County neighborhood near the University of Central Florida.

Many of the homes off Rouse Road, which is not in an official flood zone, were flooded following Hurricane Ian.

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Greg Cole and his family thought they were in the clear when their home went untouched during storm. But days later, the nearby river overflowed.

“It washed out the road … and the sidewalk. And then came right into our neighborhood. And then we saw it creeping up our driveway,” Cole said.

Read: Daytona Beach woman loses 30 years’ worth of possessions from Ian flooding

Public works is now fixing roads demolished by Ian including Rouse Road, which led the river to Cole’s home.

Mayor Jerry Demings said it will take about six more weeks to remove the rest of the debris across Orange County and that 1,500 properties had reported damage. He said nearly $200 million worth of damage has been reported and that is expected to increase.

Read: As flooding recedes, is Central Florida prepared for a wave of evictions?

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Hurricane Ian floods parts of Central Florida

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