DETROIT – Some neighbors on Detroit’s west side said they are fed up with flooding on their street.
Neighbors along Montgomery Avenue, near Holmur Street, said the catch basins are constantly clogged.
With severe storms and a flood watch in effect on Monday (Aug. 14), some residents said they were worried about the possibility of more problems.
“Every time there is a big rain, we always get this flood,” said former Michigan State Rep. Cynthia A. Johnson.
Johnson is among neighbors who said the catch basins along Montgomery Street are regularly backed up. It’s causing flooding, and, at times, water creeps toward their homes.
“You see how the cars are already parked on the side,” said Nicole Scott. “So, it’s not much that you can get around. You have to go through it. And it has messed up engines.”
The flooding makes it challenging for some cars to pass. It’s forcing some people to track a muddy mess into their homes.
“When they took the house down over here, a lot of the dirt done went down in there,” said neighbor Brenda Norman.
Some neighbors said they’ve repeatedly complained about the flooding to Detroit’s Water and Sewerage Department without success.
“We want to feel like you care about us,” Johnson said.
According to Detroit Water and Sewerage Director Gary Brown, crews were sent to Montgomery Street to clean out the sewers as recently as “Thursday (Aug. 3).
“You know, we’ve been out there a couple of times,” said Brown. “There’s some demolitions going on in the neighborhood, and it looks like there’s a lot of mud and debris that’s caked up on the streets. So, I’m going to get Ron Brundidge a call from DPW, see if we can’t right away get some trucks out there and clean the street and make sure it stays clean.”
While the City of Detroit works to clear the obstructions, neighbors said it boils down to a quality of life concern. They said they just want the problem fixed.
“Just do what you’re supposed to do for the community,” Johnson said.
Brown said he agrees, and no one wants to see water out on their streets, let alone flooding in their basements.
