Auto repair shop floods during summer storm

Our summer storms can pack a punch and leave behind flooding like this. This happened in an auto repair shop in Lakeland late last week and the owners are fed up because they say it's not the first time. As FOX 13's Carla Byron reports, they want the issue rectified by the city. This is a thunderstorm. We are completely underwater because of your drainage issues. Within an hour, there was nearly a foot of water in David and Daniel Goodwald's auto repair shop off West Memorial Boulevard. So much water that just blew in instantaneously was a little ridiculous. The flooding happened during last Thursday's late morning thunderstorm. Since they opened 12 years ago, the Goodwald's say this is the third time this has happened within the last three years. The first was during Hurricane Milton. They've reached out to the city of Lakeland and Polk County for answers, but they say the lack thereof and the finger pointing have been frustrating. Everybody's telling us there's no clogs. There's no backups. There's nothing stuck in the pipes. So if all of it's clear, the only thing that's changed is increase in residential structures as well as commercial structures around our properties, which has caused every bit of the rainwater to float into the bowl where we sit. The twin brothers say these issues didn't arise until Bonnet Springs Park was built. Goodwald says the county's assistant district drainage design engineer told him the FDOT project to revamp Memorial Boulevard's drainage and flow is in the PD and E phase. And the state can't do anything until the funding is approved, which may not happen for another 5 to 10 years. The Goodwald's started this business when they were just 24 years old, and they want to see it continue to succeed. My brother and I have over 20 years invested into this industry. The last thing we want to do is uproot and move because it's going to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more, which is going to cost us our time. They hope this flooding problem can be rectified so they can continue to plan their future and serve the community they love. In Lakeland, Carla Byron, FOX 13 News. A spokesperson for the city of Lakeland told FOX 13 they visited the location last Thursday and Friday and no drainage blockages were found in the storm pipe system. They added in part, although improvements have been made to this area in the past, city staff will continue working with the business owner to identify any appropriate next steps.