Stormwater & Flood Prevention

During rainfall events, water flows from your property through storm drains directly to nearby lakes without undergoing any treatment. Unfortunately, stormwater can pick up various pollutants along the way, including oil, trash, and food residue. These pollutants can slow down our stormwater system, causing drainage issues and flooding.

The primary objective in stormwater protection is to ensure that only rainwater enters the storm drain system. Here are some best practices to help keep our community safe and clean.

• Be a Responsible Pet Owner: Always clean up after your pets to prevent pet waste from washing into storm drains.
  
  
• Choose Eco-Friendly Products: Opt for slow-release fertilizers and herbicides, and avoid applying them near waterways or paved surfaces.
  
  
• Recycle Automotive Fluids: Properly recycle used oil and other automotive fluids to prevent contamination of water sources.

• Dispose of Hazardous Chemicals Safely: Take unwanted hazardous household chemicals to designated drop-off locations for safe disposal.

• Keep Drains Clear: Regularly clear stormwater curbs, swales, and drains of debris and trash to maintain proper drainage.

• Eco-Friendly Car Wash: Wash your car on grassy surfaces instead of on the driveway to allow filtration of pollutants.

• Handle Spills Responsibly: Use kitty litter or sand to clean up spilled fluids, and avoid rinsing them into nearby storm drains.

• Bag Grass Clippings: Collect grass clippings from your driveway, sidewalk, and street to prevent them from washing into storm drains.

• Dispose of Paint Responsibly: Clean paintbrushes indoors in a sink to prevent paint residues from entering stormwater systems.

Preparing for a Flood Event

There are several crucial considerations to keep in mind before and during a flood occurrence. These include being mindful of flood warning signals, understanding potential flood paths, knowing evacuation routes, and adhering to essential flood safety precautions.

Flood Warning Signals: Flood events are most common during hurricane seasons when the ground becomes saturated with rainwater, significantly increasing the likelihood of flooding. Flash floods, in particular, can arise rapidly and without much forewarning.

Understanding Flood Paths: It's important to recognize that flooding can happen anywhere it rains, regardless of whether you live in a designated floodplain. To aid in understanding higher flood-prone areas within the community, the City of Kissimmee provides an interactive Flood Zone Map.

Access Flood Zone Map

Evacuation Routes: The Osceola County Comprehensive Emergency Plan includes detailed evacuation routes and other pertinent information for use during flood emergencies.

Flood Safety Precautions:

Flood Warning System

In the event of a flood threat, the City receives alerts from the Office of Emergency Management, triggering notifications to relevant departments. The National Weather Service issues appropriate warnings through NOAA Weather Radio, which are then disseminated to the public via local news media outlets. Additionally, Fire and Law Enforcement officials may employ various means of direct communication, including door-to-door visits, telephone calls, and sirens.

Osceola County Emergency Management Website:

The Osceola County Emergency Operations Center collaborates with national and state-level agencies to monitor flood and storm threats and provide timely advisories to the community. The following information is available on the County's emergency management website.

• Activation levels
• emergency plans
• news updates,
• FAQs

Monitoring and Response: During potential flood events, staff closely monitor developments, relying on information from the Emergency Operations Center and the National Weather Service. Updates and warnings are issued accordingly, with any evacuation recommendations originating from the Office of Emergency Management.

Public Notifications: All local television, satellite, cable, and radio stations receive notifications from the Emergency Operations Center for immediate broadcast in case of a threat. The public is informed based on established criteria by FEMA, Army Corps of Engineers, local public works, and other relevant agencies.

Evacuation Procedures: Evacuation from flood-prone areas is initiated upon the sounding of an action stage alarm. Residents are advised to prepare to leave their homes ahead of any formal warning. Evacuation routes are provided, and residents are urged to verify them before departing.

Stormwater Monitoring Stations

The City of Kissimmee independently monitors water levels around the community. Our Stormwater Division uses information from these monitoring stations to collect real-time gages for rainfall, stage, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, and conductivity at various locations around the City.