CHARLOTTE — A west Charlotte woman said flooding is destroying her property and starting to damage her home. She told Channel 9’s Almiya White she’s tried everything to fix the issue herself. Now, she wants the city to step in and help.
Patricia Jackson’s home sits down a hill. She moved into it in 2002 through Habitat for Humanity and, nearly 22 years later, she says she had her fair share of issues.
“I worry about my foundation. I worry about it every time it rains,” Jackson said.
She said any amount of rain causes her yard to flood, and said a culvert right in front of her home isn’t helping. The culvert is filled with debris and vegetation.
Jackson sent White a video showing what her yard looks like every time it pours.
“We can’t even step out in front of our porches without the water being passed over our feet,” she said.
She said a creek just feet away from her home is not maintained and is in dire need of cleaning.
“That hole is halfway filled with debris, vegetation, and dirt, so it’s limited space for the water to flow,” she told White.
This issue stretches from her front yard to the back, so, White got a look for herself. Jackson first showed her pipe drains she placed in her yard herself to try to keep the water out.
“Just so that it won’t go into my crawlspace,” she explained.
Her crawlspace is where White headed to next, where Jackson said water has also settled in there.
“I had to invest in a pump for the basement to keep the water from filling up in my crawlspace,” she told White.
“It’s just a lot of damage being done to my home,” Jackson said.
That includes damage to the inside of her home. She took White to her kitchen where you can see the separation between her sink and the wall, leaving a gap.
“I know it’s coming from my foundation not being balanced,” she said.
Jackson said she wants to be able to enjoy her yard but she fears this situation will only get worse.
“As Habitat homeowners I don’t think we should be responsible for culverts like that,” Jackson said.
Jackson said she’s reached out to the City of Charlotte repeatedly to clean out the drainage ditch. White also contacted the city as well as Stormwater Services Friday, who sent the following statement: “Staff has previously investigated this concern and met with both the resident and Habitat for Humanity representatives. The property receives runoff from neighboring private properties. This is a private property concern and it is not eligible for the Storm Water Services Program.”
Advice from Action 9
Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke says if runoff floods your house, you may have more recourse than if it just floods your yard. If you’re worried about flooding, you may consider buying flood insurance.
Jason says just remember three things:
- Make sure the policy covers your concern.
- Be sure it doesn’t kick in right away -- it takes 30 days.
- It only covers up to $250,000 on your home and $100,000 of its contents.
(WATCH BELOW: ‘God did this’: Man thankful for nonprofit that helped save deteriorating home)
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