Flooding woes continue for Maitland businesses

MAITLAND, Fla. (FOX 35 WOFL) - It's been a wet start to the week for Maitland.  The city spent Monday drying out after heavy floods shut down Orlando Avenue the previous afternoon.

Large pumps are now in place, set up to drain the water.  Businesses in the area also reported being drained by the flooding. The rainwater is shutting down 17/92 near Monroe Avenue, meaning businesses along that stretch of road saw no customers.

"It shut me down. I made no money, it was a horrible day," said Rush Patel, who owns the Sunoco gas station on 17/92.

"They shut it down right before my store so everybody was diverted and I had no business."

Patel says he sold 800 gallons less of gas than he typically does on a Sunday. Next door, at Hollar Hyundai, the manager reported the same problems. 

"At around 12:30, we noticed that both sides of the road was blocked, which basically killed our sales here." said Edwin Melendez, a manager of the car dealership.

Melenedez ended up staying up three hours later just to make up the sales.

"When I saw that we only had two cars actually sold at that time, I said I really can't leave."

The Florida Department of Transportation said Sunday that the that the City of Maitland was working on a drainage improvement project which blocked the drainage inlet on 17/92. Pumps were put in instead, but the state said those pumps failed.   Now, a spokesperson for the city is working with contractors and developers to fix the problem before the next big rainfall.

Patel added, "They need to figure out what they're doing and get this sorted out."