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Baker house takes on water after strong storms

5 years 6 months 1 week ago Friday, June 07 2019 Jun 7, 2019 June 07, 2019 6:27 PM June 07, 2019 in News
Source: WBRZ

BAKER - Friday was clean-up day throughout the metro. High water flooded streets in the Chemin Place subdivision. The neighborhood's drainage issues are well known to Baker, but the strength of Thursday's storms took residents by surprise.

"I'm just working my way through the house, start picking up things in the dining room, living room, kitchen, get it off the floor," said Derrick Smith, a homeowner in Chemin Place.

Getting everything off the floor, throwing out carpet, and airing out his house, Smith spent most of the day cleaning his home after yesterday's strong storms pushed water inside.

According to Smith, there has been a drainage issue at Rue Shaylyn and Chemin Drive for as long as he can remember.

"Drainage is connected to another drainage connected to a drainage in front of my house that leads out to a 30-inch pipe. The 30-inch pipe goes out to canal, which puts out a 60. So when the 60 fills the canal up, where is the water going to go?"

Baker Mayor Darnell Waites told WBRZ back in August 2018 that he sees the drainage as an issue.

"In a whole, that subdivision is just built wrong, so all that water just flows that way," Mayor Waites said. "We're going to put that other drain in there and try to fix it. There's other things that need to be done that's way beyond us."

"The city knew about it and no one has ever tried to fix the situation," Smith responded.

After Thursday's round of severe weather, Smith said he needs this issue resolved because in storm season, he knows it can get much worse.

"I'm constantly going to him trying to get help. I mean I know I'm not the only one, but I know it’s people who's a lot worse than what I am, but give me a 20 minute hard rain and I have to deal with this," Smith said.

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