With residents of the Good Samaritan Society Kissimmee Village — Osceola County's most impacted communities by Hurricane Ian — demanding to be able to return to their homes and either move back in, or salvage whatever wasn't a total loss, Osceola County and its Office of Emergency Management released a list of guidelines it is working on as part of a plan to lift the mandatory evacuation order, which remains in place.
Osceola County continues to respond to recovery needs following Hurricane Ian, which struck the area three weeks ago Wednesday. One of the most impacted communities is Good Samaritan Society – Kissimmee Village. Residents of the Good Samaritan campus are encouraged to seek assistance through FEMA and its Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA) program, as well as registering for D-SNAP benefits starting on Monday.
The County’s Office of Emergency Management also is coordinating with FEMA to provide a Town Hall meeting (the date is to be announced) for the Good Samaritan residents, along with a dedicated support center to connect those residents with recovery resources.
In order to allow residents a safe return to their homes, the County reported Tuesday the following items to move forward:
- Good Samaritan Society is responsible to ensure the sewage collection system and Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) is operational — the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) showed it was not operational as of Monday, the county said — and obtain approval, if necessary. Once the WWTF has been cleared for use and the Board of County Commissioners lifts the evacuation order, the Office of Building Safety will immediately notify KUA of the inspection results to begin restoration of electricity in the area.
- The Office of Building Safety mobilized in the neighborhood on Tuesday to inspect structures that had previously been included on a damaged list created by the Office of Emergency Management, as well as any other structures with apparent damage that are accessible by staff. Inspections are anticipated to be completed by Friday.
- Structures will be conditionally noted as "occupiable" or "non-occupiable" based on a FEMA safety assessment form. Staff will prepare e-mail notice of inspection results to send to KUA, ahead of any power restoration in the area.
- The State of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) has begun their process to certify the Village’s facilities. The nursing home has water damage (80 rooms) and needs restoration (estimate of 4-5 weeks) before AHCA can certify and patients can return.
- The Village’s Assisted Living Facility has been checked by AHCA and is only pending the WWTP operational to allow the residents to return.
- The Office of the Fire Marshall will also inspect the property for emergency response access by Thursday, and report any concerns to the Office of Emergency Management, Office of Building Safety, and the Communications Office. The Office of Building Safety will work with Good Samaritan owners to secure the necessary permits for those structures where a permit is required and schedule the appropriate inspections.
