Communities pick up the pieces following Milton

Two years ago during Hurricane Ian, a giant tree uprooted and fell onto Sue Ann Reichard’s home in the Marina Bay community in Windermere. The damage was extensive — forcing the family to replace the home’s barrel-tile roof.

In the wee hours of the morning Thursday, Oct. 10, Reichard again heard the all-too-familiar sounds of wood bending and snapping to the will of hurricane-force winds outside.

Hurricane Milton had claimed another tree. But this time, the Reichards were lucky: It fell harmlessly to the ground.

Following its landfall on Siesta Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, Hurricane Milton lumbered northeast on its way across the Florida peninsula.

Upon arrival to Orange County, Milton barraged West Orange and Southwest Orange communities with heavy winds and rains for most of the early-morning hours. According to county officials, Milton dumped more than 10 inches of rain during its visit. The Winter Garden area received the most — up to 12 inches. The county experienced sustained winds of 56 mph and wind gusts of up to 87 mph. Central Florida also had 42 tornado warnings issued that night, with several confirmed touchdowns.

West Orange and Southwest Orange communities experienced widespread power outages, particularly in the town of Windermere. Duke Energy reported more than 91,000 of its Orange County customers lost power.

“We fared relatively well compared to the rest of the state of Florida,” Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to those other communities who may have had worse outcomes.”

Demings said some areas of Orange County experienced flooding, with 600 properties suffering significant damage.

WINTER GARDEN

In Winter Garden, Mayor John Rees credited his entire city staff for their work before, during and after the hurricane. The night before the storm blew in, many city employees camped overnight at Winter Garden City Hall.

“I have to give it to all of our staff,” he said. “Some of them worked straight through, some were on call; after the storm came through, they were there at 6 a.m. until dark. We have our contractors who were on call. Our trucks have been working nonstop. The (Recreation) Department has been working on the ball fields. 

“Our entire staff has worked tirelessly,” Rees said. “It’s been pretty much 24/7. I talked to (City Manager) Jon (C. Williams) early morning, late at night all weekend; they’ve been on top of it. … I think our citizens see it, they appreciate it. Our town will be cleaned up before you know it.”

At West Orange High School, the day after the storm, members of the FFA were on campus salvaging everything they could from the ag yard, which had severe flooding, said Jessica Strom, agriscience teacher and FFA adviser. A patch of bamboo fell and crushed the livestock fencing. Several oak trees fell, including one on the shed that stores supplies and hay and feed for the sheep.

“We ended up losing all of that,” Strom said. “We went out today to try to restore some of that. … It was flooded about three feet up, about halfway, and the tree falling on it didn’t help. That shed is a complete wash. The rest of the yard was pretty much flooded about three feet.

“Our rabbit barn and pig barn were both flooded,” she said. “The goat and lamb stalls were also flooded.”

Strom was waiting for the water to completely recede so she could assess the total damage.

West Orange High’s FFA program has about 75 animal projects, 60 of which live on campus. The program includes rabbits, pigs, goat, sheep, chickens and a steer. Students took the rabbits home; most of the other animals remained on campus. Strom kept the stalls open so the animals were free to roam or seek shelter. The stalls are built up on a mound, she said; however, four still flooded.

Thankfully, there were no injuries or loss of life, Strom said.

She’s grateful for the FFA parents for their work after the hurricane.

“They really have been the backbone, because you can’t always be anywhere at once,” she said. “One student’s dad works for the fire station, and he came out and made sure no power lines were down, especially in that water. He checked it for us and helped cut down the trees in the paths.”

An FFA parent set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising $5,000 to rebuild. To make a donation, click here. 

See the Observer's full photo gallery of Hurricane Milton's impact in Winter Garden here.

Photo by Michael Eng

HORIZON WEST/SW ORANGE

Communities in Horizon West fared relatively well during Hurricane Milton. Most neighborhoods did not lose power, and the majority of damage included fallen tree branches, fences and street signage.

In the late-morning hours of Oct. 10, there was some flooding along Reams Road. However, the road was drivable.

Demings said in the days that followed, localized flooding remained a concern as water moved around.

“There is some amount of flooding reported along the Reams Road area near Floridian Way, as well as at the intersection of Reams Road, Ficquette Road and Summerlake Park Boulevard,” he said.

The county launched a pumping operation and barricades in the area to address the flooding.

After closing for part of Oct. 9 and 10, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando reopened to guests Friday, Oct. 11.

See the Observer's full photo gallery of Hurricane Milton's impact in Southwest Orange and Horizon West here.

Courtesy photo

WINDERMERE

Windermere Mayor Jim O’Brien said the town was well prepared for the storm.

“Wind speeds of almost 100 mph, combined with 13 inches of rainfall caused widespread power outages, washed out roadways and brought down many large trees,” he said. “Pre-storm, I encouraged all residents to remain in contact with one another by creating text groups of their neighbors, to pool their resources together and to look after one another if they had severe impacts during the storm. During Hurricane Charley, many residents had large trees on their homes, which compromised the structural integrity of those homes and left neighbors without a safe place to ride out the remainder of the storm.”

 As a community, O’Brien said Windermere was fortunate to have no injuries and minimal damage. 

“Once Milton passed, the sunrise showed that residents did a great job of checking in on everyone and making certain that everyone was safe,” he said. “While town residents went right to cleaning up their yards, public works, police and administration conducted damage assessments, checked in on our vulnerable neighbors (CARES Program), and activated our emergency standby contracts for clearing critical roadways and removing any debris that compromised the power grid. The Family Church Volunteer Chainsaw Brigade worked for hours to remove dangerous trees and helped to make the cleanup go quickly and safely. Residents helped to feed our staff and volunteers, and, by the end of the first day, power had been restored to approximately half of the residents, and key roadway were clear and able to provide emergency access to all residents should they require assistance.”

The community came together Saturday, Oct. 12, to help clean up the area’s parks. 

Windermere Police Chief Dave Ogden said he is grateful the town made it through the hurricane without any life-threatening incidents. 

“I want to thank our officers for their willingness to sacrifice time with their own families by staying at the police department throughout the storm, ensuring they were available to serve our residents,” he said. “Our town administrative staff and public works team did an outstanding job mitigating and responding to the damages, including fallen trees and cleanup efforts. It was wonderful to see the community come together to clean up Town Square.” 

Windermere resident Joe Ferst, executive vice president and general manager at Hotwire Communications, said Central Florida has shown himself and his family the true meaning of community. 

“As Hurricane Milton approached, we all came together — friends, neighbors and community leaders — to check in with (one another) and offer support,” he said. “ During the storm, my wife and I hunkered down with our three young children, all aged 8 and younger, keeping them entertained with movies, games and snacks, while heavy rain, strong winds and even tornadoes tore through the area. From a business perspective, the Hotwire team, including executives and our incredible team of network engineers, proactively monitored our network 24/7, so they could identify and respond to any potential issues before they affected services.”

See the Observer's full photo gallery of Hurricane Milton's impact in Windermere here.

OCOEE

Crystal Smalldon purchased her Ocoee home in February 2022 off South Lakeshore Drive in Ocoee. 

This year, she put a new roof on the home, as well as replaced all of her doors and windows. She also piped the entire house, updated and fixed the electric, and purchased a new hot water heater and new appliances. She spent more than $100,000 on upgrades.

“I did everything that I was supposed to do, and I had zero concerns going into Hurricane Milton that I would have a single issue,” Smalldon said.

She was devastated when about two hours after the rain started  she saw her entire front entryway was flooded.

“I couldn’t understand what was happening or why, given I had a brand-new door with brand new framing put in not even six months ago,” she said. “So, I called my partner immediately and said, ‘I need your help.’ He came out front and started helping me soak up the water. It was coming through every crevice of the door. We couldn’t get it to stop coming in. It was coming from absolutely everywhere.”

The couple went to the garage to grab some tools to help and realized the garage was flooded, too. 

“I mean, the ceiling is coming in, so the roof has taken on water, and we’re like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” Smalldon said. “We’re trying to find our (Shop Vac), but we’re missing the hose. We can’t find it. We’re like, forget it. We’re just going to make-shift this. So, we get a bucket and we make a hole. We put a PVC pipe and drain it out, so that all the water would fall into the bucket and drain out the garage. Did we want to have a garage door open during a hurricane? No, but we didn’t really have a choice. It was already going to be destroyed. So, we had it open a little bit, but it was just too much rain. So, we close the garage, and we let the PVC pipe drain it down to the bottom of the garage.”

Then, they began to hear a noise like a freight train coming through. The entire front, middle half of the garage was coming down. 

“Our garage is destroyed, so we come in the house, and I’m again trying to clean up the massive flood in my front foyer area, and I can hear this automatic dripping,” she said. “I look over, and the living room roof area where my window is just pouring water inside my house. ... We abandoned the door, and we ran to the living room and started executing the living room retrieval. Then, to make matters worse, we finally got that under control — keep in mind the hurricane has not even hit landfall yet — and we notice there is water coming in the foundation of the tile floor in the living room. So, all in all, my house is basically destroyed.”

Smalldon has only been in the United States for two years, and her hurricane deductible is $60,000.

“No one told me it would happen like this, or that hurricane deductibles are separate or so high,” she said. “I did not know any of these things, so now my house is destroyed. ... The community has really stepped up to support us, including my work colleagues. It’s been really fantastic, but at the same time there is a lot of water damage. … Every last upgrade failed. So, what kind of awful work has been done that I now have to redo a significant portion or have to repair a significant portion of my home when I’ve already spent all the money to do that? It’s just absolutely disgusting, and I am horrified this is the situation I am currently in, because $60,000 is too much of a deductible to manage for anyone, and there’s so much water damage that it’s got to be done. We don’t have another option.”

Overall, Smalldon said the support of the community has been incredible.

“I said those words, ‘I am not OK,’ and I received messages and so much support,” she said. “Normally, I’m the one supporting people who aren’t OK. I’m usually always OK. I’m happy and I’m thankful for all of my blessings, but I’m never the one to say I’m not OK. At that moment when I blurted out that I’m not OK, everyone came running. I seriously can’t believe how much support this community gave me in the moment when I felt my weakest, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay all of these random strangers for that moment of support when I simply said I am not OK.” 

Santia McKoy, an Ocoee-based fashion designer, and her family are some of the local residents that have banded together to help those in need. 

The McKoys put together a few home-cooked meals to donate to three families in need who lost power. 

“God placed it on my heart,” she said. “I’m truly thankful that God protected myself and my family throughout the storm — no damages, our power stayed on and my entire family was safe. In light of this, I feel an even deeper responsibility to help those who weren’t so fortunate to share the same fate. To be without power and food in the wake of such a devastating hurricane is disheartening, and I want to do anything in my power to support those in need.”

See the Observer's full photo gallery of Hurricane Milton's impact in Ocoee here.

OAKLAND

Oakland Mayor Shane Taylor was pleased with the town’s constant communication between the departments and with residents.

“What we did as a town was to communicate to the residents the importance of preparing prior to the storm and to reiterate that the town of Oakland was ready to handle any situation the storm threw our way,” he said. “We believe this resonated and was appreciated by the town’s residents.”

Following the hurricane, Taylor drove around town assessing damage and talking with residents.

“Overall, the town fared very well,” he said. “Our town staff’s preparations were a contributing factor in that outcome. We did lose several large trees, street signs damaged, power poles and power lines broke in half and did witness private property damage with trees on roofs of homes and, in most instances, causing structural damage.”

After the storm, residents were out cleaning up their yards, helping their neighbors, waiting for power to be restored and ready to move on, he said.

Department heads provided post-hurricane reports, and Taylor was grateful for the team effort.

Prior to the storm, the Public Works crew had cleared Hurricane Helene debris; cleaned storm drains; secured loose items; boarded up Town Hall; delivered dirt for sandbags daily; and fueled vehicles, machinery and equipment. In just 48 hours, more than 2,800 sandbags were distributed to more than 250 households.

The Utilities Department fueled and placed generators at lift stations and the water plant to ensure uninterrupted service throughout and after the storm, despite power outages.

Once conditions were safe, Public Works returned to clear roadways and assess damage. 

“The team has been hard at work every day since, rapidly restoring access to many of our most commonly used areas, and they still have a lot of work ahead of them,” Taylor said.

The Oakland Police Department coordinated with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office to establish an Emergency Operations Center in Oakland, staffed overnight by Chief Darron Esan, officers and Public Works Director Mike Parker.

Following the storm, officers quickly responded to hazardous intersections, including downed power lines at Tubb Street and Oakland Avenue.

While most residents fared well in the hurricane, one family wasn’t so lucky.

Jeff and Maureen Jacobson had prepared their house for the storm, boarding up all their thin windows and having their teenage daughter, Hannah, remove everything important out of her bedroom.

“She took her Bible, she took some other personal things, and in our living room, we took things off the wall and removed things away from the window,” Maureen Jacobson said.

Jeff Jacobson and Hannah fell asleep, but Maureen Jacobson couldn’t.

“My concern in Oakland is we have a lot of trees around our home, and every little thing that hit my roof, it scared me,” she said. “It was absolutely 100% terrifying. It was one of the scariest things in my life. At 3:15 (a.m.), my power went out. … The second the lights went out, I kept praying, ‘Jesus, make it stop.’ … I hugged my tree the day before and literally cried with my tree — that’s where my peacocks live and the squirrels stay. I said, ‘Mr. Tree, if you have to fall, can you please try to fall toward the road and not my house?”

But it didn’t happen that way. The tree fell right onto the Jacobsons’ home on Nixon Street — above the living room and Hannah’s bedroom — penetrating the 2-year-old roof.

It was the third blow in two weeks for the family. The Jacobsons have been without one car while it’s being repaired, and they had to put their dog to sleep a few weeks ago.

“This was literally the breaking point, but we kept our faith, and we’re getting through this,” Maureen Jacobson said.

Issues with their insurance company compounded the loss when the Jacobsons had the tree removed from the house, which nullified the insurance agreement, she said.

Besides the house, the family also lost their chicken coop and barn.

But, in the aftermath of the storm’s chaos, the Jacobsons experienced the benefits of living in a small town: Neighbors donated tarps, offered to patch the roof, and stopped by with rakes and other tools to help clean up the giant mess in their yard.

“The mayor stopped by, the chief of police stopped by, people have driven by on golf carts and asked to help,” Maureen Jacobson said. “We have been blessed in this town with great people.”

She has been an advocate for local animals for years and was saddened by the loss of this tree that was home to squirrels and five of the town’s peacocks.

After roaming the neighborhood the day after the hurricane, the peacocks returned to their tree, Maureen Jacobson said.

“They all survived; we’re all doing good,” she said.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the Jacobson family. To donate, click here.

See the Observer's full photo gallery of Hurricane Milton's impact in Oakland here.