Water main break floods Orlando streets, submerges vehicles

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando streets were flooded and at least two cars were submerged Monday when a water main broke in the Lake Eola Heights area.

The break was reported around 2:30 p.m. on Summerlin Avenue and East Concord Street. Summerlin Avenue remained closed Tuesday morning between Concord and Amelia streets.

Orlando Utilities Commission senior media relations coordinator Tim Trudel said Summerlin Avenue will be closed "indefinitely," likely for at least 48 hours, until road crews can repave the area.

Sky 6 video showed flooding in the residential area, with water up to the top of two vehicles' wheel wells.

The parking lot of an apartment complex where Ethan Lenz lives was completely flooded and his roommate's car was one of the vehicles submerged.

"I, you know, I got the notification at work that our parking lot was a little flooded and my roommate's car was, you know, starting to get submerged, so, you know, they recommended to us that we come home so I notified my roommate," Lenz said.

The first floor of his building is raised several feet off the ground, so the water didn't make it inside their unit, but Lenz's roommate's car is a total loss. 

A couple of hours later, Lenz said the water appeared to be receding.

OUC initially estimated that the break had caused 20 to 25 homes to experience lowered water pressure, but later changed the number to 13.

A spokeswoman for the city of Orlando said she was not aware of any construction in the area that might have caused the break.

OUC officials said the goal is to have the area cleaned up and repaired by Tuesday morning. Crews were seen at the site before sunrise, but hadn't started working.

Check back for more information on this developing story.