Officials plan drainage improvements in Seminole County community

SEMINOLE COUNTY – Midway residents have pointed out issues with flooding for years due to inadequate drainage.

"A dramatic problem for more than four decades that I can recall,” said Emory Green Jr., with the Midway Coalition.

Midway's stormwater system is not one of the area's points of pride.

"The ditches are full. There's little or no capacity; that's something we've been dealing with for quite some time,” Green said.

The early Friday morning torrential downpour certainly pointed out some of the issues within the community of Midway when it comes to drainage. Drainage issues the county is committed to fixing.

"The Midway community has struggled with flooding for decades largely due to the basin that it's in, and also because of new development in the surrounding areas,” Deputy County Manager Tricia Johnson said.

Seminole County will spend $25 million in phases to modernize the stormwater system. A million dollars for it was in the state budget but was removed by the veto pen. The county will push ahead anyway.

"We will continue to proceed as planned with the project and have let the community know it is, again, a high priority for the county,” Johnson said.