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Rains bring floods, gators to Oviedo restaurant

Parts of Black Hammock's outdoor eating areas underwater

OVIEDO, Fla. – Rising waters are not only bringing flooding to an outdoor eating area at a local restaurant, they're also bringing alligators and snakes.

Heavy rainfall has brought the St. Johns River to more than four feet above its normal levels, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The river feeds Lake Jesup, where the Black Hammock restaurant sits along the shoreline.

Parts of its outdoor eating areas now sit under nearly 4 feet of lake water.

"There was some people sitting at this table over here, and probably 5 or 6 feet out in the water, there's a small 3- to 4-foot gator watching them eat," said customer Ray Buckner.

An entire peninsula that has hosted wedding receptions sits underwater. Docks and decks are also submerged.

Many worry that more rainfall could make the problem worse.

[RELATED: Central Fla. under severe weather watch]

The restaurant vows to stay open with its outdoor bar still attracting customers and its indoor seating restaurant far away from the rising waters.

"It's a nice, laid-back place to come," said Buckner.


About the Author
Erik Sandoval headshot

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became a Manager of Content and Coverage in November 2024.