TEMPLE, Texas — Severe flooding has impacted a Temple family, forcing them to evacuate their home on Tuesday, April 9.
Cindi and David Watts live on Alabama Ave. in the City of Temple with their family and told 6 News flooding concerns have been a growing issue thanks to the Lake Pointe subdivision being built behind their home.
"We've been out here for 40 years and we've never had a problem like this until they put in this drainage system back here two years ago," Cindi Watts explained.
The subdivision is located off of the West Adams area of Temple. David Watts said he himself builds neighborhoods as a profession and immediately knew the drainage system the City of Temple installed at the subdivision would not work.
"When they built the neighborhood, all the flow from those houses and the roads changed and they drain it right back here behind our house," David Watts added.
The Watts family told 6 News they have been suffering from these drainage problems for the last two years. They contacted the City of Temple as soon as they noticed the issue but said nothing has been done to fix it.
"They told us to get pictures, so we submitted pictures and videos for the past two years and they've never done anything," David Watts added. "We've contacted the [subdivision] office up here and they said that that's more engineer specs."
On the morning of April 9, flood waters reached the Watts family's backyard, front yard and even inside of their home.
"I have my mom and his mom, they're living with us and our dogs," Cindi Watts said. "[The City] had us cut our power off and our gas off and that was the only assistance we got. They wouldn't bring us sandbags or nothing."
Because of the flooding, the family is left to deal with water damage inside and outside of their home, damaging a lot of their belongings.
David Watts also added that when they asked City trucks near their home for sandbags to divert the water from their home, they were told by the city workers that they would see what they could do but nothing came of that.
What the family wants is for the City to fix the drainage problem. If not, they plan to take action against the City.
"We don't have a lot of money, but we pay our tax dollars and we just want this issue resolved," David Watts said.
6 News contacted Temple spokesperson Megan Price around 4 p.m Mon. April 9 to address the Watts family concerns. Here was Price's response:
"I will work on getting some information about this and circle back ASAP."
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