Orange County directs short-term flood fixes for Reams Road, asks staff to study limited development moratorium

Orange County commissioners on Feb. 11 directed staff to move forward with near-term flood-management measures for the Reams Road/Phuket Road corridor and asked for additional study of a limited moratorium on development that would restrict wetland and floodplain impacts.

The Commission heard a detailed work-session briefing from Susan Usack, deputy director of Public Works and county engineer, who summarized historical flooding, ongoing infrastructure projects and several interim strategies staff recommends while longer construction projects proceed. Usack said the county has identified recurring roadway flooding at the Summer Lake Boulevard/Phuket Road/Reams Road intersection and presented both temporary and long-term options.

Why it matters: the corridor carries tens of thousands of daily trips and has closed for multi-day stretches during recent storms, cutting access to work and services and raising public-safety concerns. Commissioners described business closures and household impacts tied to past roadway flooding and pressed for steps that reduce near-term risk while projects are built.

Staff recommendations and timelines

- Short-term operational steps (Strategy 1): Public Works will expand pre-storm inspections and deploy temporary flood-protection devices such as Tiger Dam. Usack said, "Strategy 1 implementation is quick to implement and it's ongoing ahead of major storm events." The county estimated the purchase cost for flood devices at about $200,000; staff said they will also seek grant funding to reduce the county share.

- Interim roadway lift (Strategy 2): Staff evaluated two overlay options. A 10-inch…