JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Heavy rains in the area Monday flooded several streets in the Avondale neighborhood and caused a tree to fall on a home in Northwest Jacksonville.
News4Jax reporter Francesca Amiker spoke with residents near the intersection of Challen Avenue and Park Street, who said the flooding had them trapped inside their homes.
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Woody Gash was visiting his daughter, who lives near the intersection when he was caught in the heavy rain.
“The people across the street, last time we were here, they got their car flooded,” Gash said. “A gentleman down the street has a pickup (truck) and it flooded the pickup (too).”
Gash said when it rains in the area, it floods, and for him and his daughter’s neighbors, the heavy rainwater is an inconvenience.
“I was supposed to go pick up my granddaughter at 3 p.m. but I couldn't get out, so my son-in-law is going to have to get off of work early to pick her up,” Gash said.
For more than an hour, he and his grandson watched the waters rise into trash cans and into their carport, as police blocked off the road on both sides.
Gash said he's not sure if the problem is this drain filled with debris or the low-lying street, but said the city needs to do more.
“They’ve asked the city many times to come out and they have never got anything, as far as we know,” Gash said.
While flooding was causing frustrations in Avondale, the heavy rain forced a tree to fall on a home in the Royal Terrace neighborhood.
Several members of a family of six were at the home on Dodge Road near 45th Street and Moncrief Road, when the tree crashed through the roof.
A family member told News4Jax they heard a loud boom as the tree fell, creating a gaping hole in the roof.
The homeowner said she's just thankful nobody was hurt. They have created a GoFundMe account to help pay for repairs. Click here to donate.