CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — They say when it rains it pours and for some residents like the Kaylor family in Flour Bluff, when it pours, it floods their backyard.
The Kaylors said when it starts raining, rainwater from Flour Bluff Middle School’s field runs off into a ditch behind their house, and that ditch floods, causing water from the ditch to overflow into their backyard.
“We’re supposed to only flood during hurricanes…not every time it rains,” Brad Kaylor said.
He said the overflowing water from the ditch washes debris and trash from the school’s parking lots and buildings into their yard, making their dogs sick, and leaving a stench.
He said he had to raise their shed 14 inches because water got into it, but earlier this week when it rained, water still got in. He also said his yard has sunk about four feet in some areas.
Kaylor built an outdoor elevator for his wife, Jen Kaylor, because she’s disabled. Jen said she’s unable to use it when the yard is flooded outside.
“Sometimes he hasn’t been here so I have to try and get up and down the stairs by myself, which is not really the smartest thing to do, so its a pretty big inconvenience for me,” Jen Kaylor said.
Brad Kaylor said City officials and officials from the Flour Bluff schools aren’t doing anything to help them.
“It’s the city and it’s the school and one is pointing the finger at the other and at the meantime no one is really taking responsibility,” Kaylor said.
Kaylor recommends there be a retention pond catching the water before it gets into their yard or a culvert, saying the drainage system in his neighborhood isn’t working.
Their neighbors, Terry and Lynda Steen are also experiencing flooding in their backyard due to the overflowing ditch. They said they never had standing water around their home until earlier this week when it rained.
They also have mushrooms growing in their backyard and said they are afraid bacteria from the mushrooms and standing water could be harmful to them, especially because they have heart and breathing problems.
They also agree with the Kaylor, saying the City needs to step up and solve the issue.
“It’s time to get to the streets….to the flooding….you know the stuff that matters to us normal people,” Lynda Steen said.
KRIS6 reached out to the City of Corpus Christi and they said they are hoping to have an answer to a solution this week.
