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Neighbors Complain Their Street is Higher Than Their Yards, Causing Flooding

We talked with those who live on Darrow Avenue who are still trying to clean up after the storms that have soaked the Toledo area with more than a foot of rain over the past 4 weeks.  They say the water just collects, sits, and destroys.

WEST TOLEDO -- Neighbors in west Toledo told us it's been a problem for years: flooding.  We talked with those who live on Darrow Avenue who are still trying to clean up after the storms that have soaked the Toledo area with more than a foot of rain over the past 4 weeks.  They say the water just collects, sits, and destroys.

Some can't even get insurance anymore and they're tired of it all.  "The water was about waist deep," said Elana Echols as she gave us a tour of her basement.  She has lived in her home on Darrow for 16 years.  She's on her third furnace, her third set of washers and dryers, and too many to count broken tiles all because of flooding.

"I'm mad at the city...mad at the mayor," said Echols.  Why?  The entire street sits much higher than the sidewalks and yards.  "You can't even get into our homes on our block because there is so much water out front," said neighbor Rachelle Dunning.  The water collects in front of Echols' home all the time.  "It's been going on ever since I've been here.  It's gotten worse," Echols told us.

Echols' basement has flooded so many times that she said her insurance company made her cancel her flood insurance.  That happened before the most recent storms.  "I don't have insurance and everything is coming out of my pocket because I'm single and I have no children so I can't get any other help from other agencies," she explained.

Echols stood with several other neighbors who all have damage, who all saw deep water and who are all just beside themselves at this point.  "Losing everything that you worked hard for overnight, it's very difficult," said flood victim Charlotte Ross.  "Very frustrating," she added.  "Every time it clouds up now I kind of get afraid that the water is coming back because it's still with me," said Darrow resident Georgia Trigg.

It's still with them despite attempts to fix the problems.  "I've called city hall trying to get help for the area.  I haven't gotten a call back from city hall," she told News 11.  A rep from the mayor's office said he was unaware of the problems but he'll talk with city departments on Friday.

That's not a day too soon for the residents of Darrow.  "We do matter down here and I would like to see someone come out and help us," said Echols.

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