Residents and visitors of South Tampa know all too well what happens when it rains: parts of Bayshore Boulevard and S. Dale Mabry flood, other streets are shut down until water recedes.
At Ice Cold Air Discount Auto Repair on S. Dale Mabry Blvd, an engine sits next to a BMW. It used to be inside the car until the driver took it through high water. Now, mechanics are replacing the entire engine - a job that could cost up to $4,000 - because of flooding.
"People will still try to come off feeder roads and try to plow their way through the water, and of course they get stuck," Tampa Police Sgt. Carl Giguere says. A viewer in Hyde Park sent us video of his parked car stuck in floodwater. It had to be towed, and many of the parts will likely have to be gutted.
"If a high tide and a large amount of water are all trying to go back to the same place, the tide won't let it drain back out into the bay," Sgt. Giguere says. "When water covers the entire street, you don't have any idea how deep it is."
According to Giguere, if you see water that's at a lower level than the curb, it's likely four inches or less of accumulation that is okay to drive through. Once water rises to between 8-10 inches, it has the potential to affect your engine.
Tampa Police officers also see some drivers speed through the water in an effort to get to dry land faster. They urge those commuters to slow down, since hitting the gas lets more water into the engine.
Pouring rain pours business into Ice Cold Air, but even owner Ashley Butler would rather see drivers avoid the problem of water logging an engine.
"We appreciate the business, but if it's raining, it'd probably be safer if you stayed inside," she says.