Higgins Switch residents frustrated over flooding
Floodwaters proved to be more than frustrating for one Pulaski County neighborhood Friday. People in the Higgins Switch area, near Wrightsville, had to help each other get to their homes using a boat. They feel county leaders need to do more to prevent flooding. People who live on German and Tyler roads say flooding is nothing new to them. Whenever there's a heavy rain, they have to deal with flooded roads and water creeping up into theirs homes. After years of dealing with it, they're saying enough is enough."This just takes the cake right here,” John Gerrard says while paddling through floodwater.He watched Tony Rd. transform into a river."I got out here about 5:30 this morning and this is what you see,” Gerrard added.He knew he had to do something when flooded roads and yards prevented his neighbors from getting home. He pulled out his boat."How many people have you had to help?” we asked. “Quite a few,” Gerrard replied.We rode along to get a look at his neighborhood. In many cases, driving isn't an option. A barricade put out to stop drivers is now floating in the water. Boots and even umbrellas are a must but so is patience because when water gets this deep, the only concern now is when will it reach into their homes?"The water is in the garage right now and everything that we had on the floor is floating on top of the water. If it continues to rain, it's going to get into the house,” resident Brandi White said.She’s lived here over 20 years. It’s never gotten better."We can't even park our cars in the driveway because the water is so high up, it will flood in the car. It's a shame that we have to go through this,” White said.Residents say a nearby sewer is spilling into the ditches causing major problems."They'll come out here and look but that's all. I’ve got to pay taxes every year. For what? I don't know what I’m paying them for,” said James Elliott in frustration.After helping his neighbors all day, Gerrard now has a message to county leaders."We pay improvement taxes down here. Improve these ditches," he said.Sherman Smith of Pulaski County Public Works says part of the problem is a railroad runs parallel to a ditch in the area. The county doesn’t have permission to enter the railroad’s property to clean out the ditch. Smith says the county recently replaced huge concrete drainage boxes in hopes to ease the flooding.
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