Heavy rain continues to flood Fowler St. with no long-term solution in sight

Reporter: Taylor Petras
Published: Updated:
Car stuck in the water at Fowler St. in Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News)
Car stuck in the water at Fowler St. in Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News)

With the rainy season underway, it is only a matter of time before strong storms turn Fowler St. into a river again.

The people who work and own businesses on Fowler St. said it never changes. Rainy season brings flash flooding.

“We had mops and stuff ready for it,” said Brad Kelley, of Larry’s Pawn Shop, “so we’re used to it so to speak.”

Car stuck in the water at Fowler St. in Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News)
Car stuck in the water at Fowler St. in Fort Myers. (Credit: WINK News)

Kelley said the flooding forced them to shut down the pawn shop early on Friday. The clean up continued into the next day.

“I mean it took two of us with backpack blowers to clear this entire parking lot back off,” Kelley said. “We still have gotten it all.”

Last summer, Florida Dept. of Transportation told WINK News drains clogged with debris and trash were partly to blame for the flooding.

“Know it’s an infrastructure thing and as we grow, things will be getting worse,” said Joe Reppert, who works at Diversified Yacht Services. “Some attention needs to be put to this side of town.”

The attention that businesses said would probably help with the flooding, even though that might mean several months of construction.

“It would probably mess up, you know, as far as people being able to get in,” Kelley said. “Construction does cause a lot of problems with local businesses sometimes.”

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