At a Glance
- Several lakes in the area are overflowing onto adjacent property.
- At least three residents have been forced out of their homes due to the flooding.
- It’s not clear what’s causing the water to rise.
Paul DeHart and his wife bought what seemed like a dream home in 2017, situated on a 4.5-acre picturesque lakefront lot outside of Orlando, Florida.
Even better for Florida, the home wasn’t in a designated flood zone.
Two years later, the dream has turned to a nightmare as rising water from the lake inundates their land and moves dangerously close to their home and others in the neighborhood.
DeHart estimates he’s lost about two acres of his property to the water so far. Others have had it worse.
“We have two neighbors right next to us that are underwater and they’ve had to leave their homes,” DeHart told weather.com Tuesday.
A third nearby resident, affected by a different body of water that is also flooding, has also had to move.
DeHart and his neighbors live in the small community of Gotha, about 11 miles west of downtown Orlando. Much of Central Florida is dotted with lakes and ponds, and Gotha is no different.
DeHart estimates the water has risen about 15 feet on Lake Nally, adjacent to where his home sits, since he bought the property. Fischer Lake, also nearby, and two large ponds in the community have the same problem, he said.