JENNINGS, Mo. – A Jennings woman is getting answers after a flooding problem turned her driveway into an at-home ice rink.

In 2021, Tamicha Gates noticed water bubbling up from the ground outside her home after a tree had fallen, which she assumed had damaged a water line. She contacted Jennings City Hall several times over the past three years to resolve the excessive amount of water sitting by her home, but to no avail.

Since then, the problem has gotten worse, forcing Gates to scoot on her driveway anytime freezing weather comes along.

“It’s like jail in my own home because I can’t get out of the driveway,” Gates said. “I can’t keep dealing with this.”

FOX 2 reached out to Mayor Gary Johnson over the weekend about the situation. Within an hour, he went to Gates’ home.

“(This is) the first time I’ve even got somebody to come out (to my house),” Gates said. “They’ve been telling me for three years ‘somebody coming out,’ (but) nobody came out… There were no notes that they’ve had this problem.”

Mayor Johnson said that while he doesn’t think the tree belongs to the city, he would not leave the Jennings resident stranded, as he even had a fall on her driveway while visiting.

“I’m very hopeful,” Gates said.