LAKELAND, Fla. — Nearly a week after heavy rain flooded a Lakeland auto shop, its owners say they're still searching for answers about why it happened and whether anything will be done to prevent it from happening again.
Twin Diesel Performance, located along West Memorial Boulevard just west of downtown Lakeland, flooded during an afternoon thunderstorm on Thursday, July 30.
Co-owner Daniel Goodwald said the parking lot filled with about two feet of water, while roughly 10 to 11 inches entered the shop.
"It's insane," Goodwald said. "Definitely unfortunate."
The brothers say the business opened in 2014 and went years without flooding. But they say the shop has now flooded three times in recent years, leading them to question whether drainage infrastructure has kept pace with growth in the area.
After posting videos of the flooding on social media that drew thousands of views, the brothers publicly called on city and state officials to address what they believe is a growing infrastructure problem.
City says system wasn't blocked
In a statement to Tampa Bay 28, City of Lakeland Communications Director Larry Little said Public Works crews inspected the drainage system after the storm and found no blockages.
The City of Lakeland understands the frustration and challenges of the flooding from last week’s intense storm for this business owner and others nearby,” Little wrote. “The City’s Public Works Department team has remained in regular contact with them since the event to discuss concerns, share updates and identify opportunities for improvement.”
Little said the flooding occurred because the storm produced more rain than the drainage system was designed to handle.
"Based on information provided by FDOT, the flooding resulted from an extraordinary rainfall event that exceeded the design capacity of the drainage system," Little said.
State says future road project could include drainage improvements
FDOT spokesperson Janella Newsome told Tampa Bay 28 the agency also inspected the drainage system after the storm and found it was operating as designed and free of debris. She said the storm produced more rainfall than the system was designed to handle, which caused water to back up before draining once the storm passed.
Newsome said there are no standalone drainage improvements currently planned for the area.
However, she said a future Memorial Boulevard reconstruction project could include drainage improvements. That project is currently outside FDOT's five-year work program and does not have funding.
Project documents obtained by Tampa Bay 28 show drainage analysis is included in the reconstruction project's scope. The documents also call for replacing the existing closed drainage system within the project limits, although the final design is still under development.
National Weather Service: Heavy rain fell in a short time
The National Weather Service said radar estimates show much of the area near downtown Lakeland received about 2 to 3 inches of rain over roughly three hours on July 30.
Meteorologist Matt Anderson said rainfall of that magnitude is fairly typical for Central Florida. Areas closer to Lakeland Linder International Airport, however, received more than 4 inches in about two hours, making that rainfall much more unusual.
Goodwald hopes officials eventually find a long-term solution.
"I'm just praying something gets done about it," he said. “I damn sure don’t want this to happen to us, and I dang sure don’t want this to happen to anybody else as well.”
Share Your Story with Chad
Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He is focused on sharing stories from his neighbors in Lakeland. You can use the form below to connect with Chad.
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