Flooding on Orange County streets leaves several drivers stranded

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Oak Ridge Avenue and Rio Grande Road were flooded with water deep enough to make it seem like the actual Rio Grande river on Friday. Orange County Fire Rescue helped at least nine drivers Friday who were stranded when their cars' electrical systems shorted-out.

One of the biggest problems seemed to be debris blocking the storm drains.

Orange County Public Works director Mike Watts said they were doing all they could  to prevent a repeat.

"We keep going from site to site making sure our outlets are open and they usually recover pretty fast, but we always gotta be cautious of trash and debris. That's what causes us the most problems."

With more rain in Saturday's forecast, city crews said it was critical to keep those drains clear.

"If you can with your trash and debris, put it in the trash cans and grass clippings need to be in your yard, not the storm drains," said Watts.

Officials also had special advice for drivers, when the floodwaters rise. Orange County Fire Rescue says the most important thing to keep in mind: if you don't know how deep the water is then don't try driving through it.