Although Lucía Fernández’s home was flooded for hours Friday afternoon, she doesn’t blame the weather for the three inches of water that flooded her home.
It’s all the cars driving down her flooded street that she believes sent waves of water onto her property.
“I was getting really irritated and frustrated,” Fernandez said, “I was with my umbrella, and I reached out and said, ‘Stop! Could you please stop?'”
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Fernandez tells Action News Jax saw cars speeding down his street at times during the day while his street in Davis Shores was flooded, which is part of a nor’easter that the First Alert weather team has been tracking for days.
He said he has never seen so much flooding on his street from a storm other than a hurricane. Hurricanes Ian and Nicole caused several feet of flooding in her home, which she says she now has to relive due to flooding caused by the wet weather.
“I have to do it all over again tomorrow and it’s just frustrating,” Fernandez said.
Action News Jax tracked down many other flooded streets in St. Augustine on Friday, as well as complaints about who was driving them. A viewer sent us a photo of a tram tour of the old town driving through a flooded street next to the town hall.
Her name is Hayley Morland. He tells us that it is normal for trams to run in the rain, even in deep water.
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“It takes a lot to keep them from going down into the streets,” Morland said, “they make their way through, no matter how deep the water is.”
Although Morland told us it is typical, we still saw many comments online opposing the operation of Old Town Trolley Tours on the flooded streets of St. Augustine. Action News Jax brought this to the city’s attention and was told that, legally speaking, the city could not stop the streetcars from running since the roads were open.
We also asked if there were any safety violations or concerns associated with cars traveling in flood water. The city told us any safety guidelines would be highlighted in its agreement with Old Town Trolley Tours. We have requested that document and are waiting to receive it.
As for Fernández, he believes that some drivers in his neighborhood could have been braking. a recently passed state law which went into effect in July and prohibits cars from creating wakes on flooded streets.
Fernández now wants to involve the city.
“There should be signs here saying if it’s flooded, don’t come down the street. Like I don’t know where people’s brains are and what they’re doing,” Fernandez said.
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