Residents connect inadequate drainage system to flooding
By Rochelle Moore
Published in News on December 28, 2016 10:04 AM
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Bill Starr, in his living room, discusses personal concerns that connect the city of Goldsboro to the flooding of his home. Starr believes the flooding happened because the stormwater system hasn't been upgraded to meet current needs. He said homeowners have talked with city staff about the problem through the years.
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News-Argus/SETH COMBS
Giovanny Sarmiento stands in front of his home on Laurel Street. He believes the flooding problems could be partly due to clogged stormwater drains.
Pamela Lawrence was living more than two months without central heating due to flood damage she believes was caused by an inadequate stormwater system.
She lost one vehicle, which was lifted by floodwaters, her home was filled with nearly 2 feet of standing water and several trees were uprooted in her yard.
She recently took her concerns to the Goldsboro City Council because it's the second time area homes were damaged following a natural disaster.
Residents say the intersection of South Jefferson Avenue and Laurel Street is a problem area after flooding during heavy rains, as well as Hurricane Floyd, in 1999, and Hurricane Matthew, in October.
"I am one of the residents whose property was damaged in both the 1999 flood and the Oct. 8, 2016, flood," she told council. "It is significant because it not only resulted in a great deal of damage to property in that area but also because it was largely due to neglect by the city.
"I am bringing it to your attention in hopes that something can be done in the near future so that we do not have to face this again."
Marty Anderson, Goldsboro's chief city engineer, only recently learned about the problem and found a city study from the 1980s that recommended replacing the city's 15-inch stormwater pipes with 36-inch pipes at the intersection.
The study, which mapped stormwater lines in the city, identified 15 to 20 projects. The study did not result in stormwater repairs to the system, Anderson said.
"I was not aware of a problem over there until I got a letter," Anderson said.. "The intersection is lower than the surrounding area. It's in a bowl."
Anderson has since added the intersection to a current project list, but a timeframe for replacing the stormwater pipes is unknown.
"I can't put a date on when this will be fixed," Anderson said. "I added it to our other projects for the stormwater utility."
Stormwater line repairs are paid for by the city's general fund, Anderson said. Another possible source is from revenue collected from a new citywide stormwater utility fee, which could be considered in the new year.
Residents living near the Jefferson and Laurel Street intersection remain concerned because the area experiences flooding during heavy rainfall.
"That whole intersection floods every time it rains," said Bill Starr, a Laurel Street resident, who also sustained flood damage in his home. Starr replaced all the ductwork under the house following the flood.
"It's $4,000 just for the ductwork, and that's not counting the lawnmower and the furniture," Starr said. "I had to throw it all away."
Starr believes the flooding happened because the stormwater system hasn't been upgraded to meet current needs.
He said homeowners have talked with city staff about the problem through the years.
"The city's know about this," Starr said. "They've known about this for years. They ain't doing nothing about it. It's not big enough."
Giovanny Sarmiento said the hurricane led to at least 4 inches of standing water inside his Laurel Street home.
"This area flooded pretty bad," he said.
The Sarmiento's lost furniture, carpeting, hardwood flooring and other household items. Close to 3 feet of water in their yard ended up pushing the heating and air conditioning unit off its foundation.
The intersection tends to flood at its four corners during heavy rainfall, Sarmiento said. He believes the flooding problems could be partly due to clogged stormwater drains.
"I think it might be a combination of things with the drains being clogged up," he said.
Lawrence, who has heated her home with space heaters since the hurricane, recently had her central heating restored after repairs were made on Dec. 21. She still has trees and limbs to remove from her property.
Some of her personal losses from the flood include damaged files and family photos.
"I've never seen anything like it in my life," she said. "We were not alone. There were some people who suffered much worse. I just wanted them to be aware so they can prevent it from happening again."