EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – One resident in East St. Louis says the city may be to blame for some of their flooding problems.
Delores Johnson lost $20,000 worth of belongings when water from her street flooded into her basement, ruining items liker her stove, washer, and dryer. Her, along with others, say sewers backed up with mud and debris cause the overflow on streets.
“Water sits in my yard, messing up my pavement and my foundation,” she said. “The street sewers are so covered up with grass, debris, and rocks ‘till the water cannot get down the drain of the street sewer.”
Johnson has complained to officials over the years with no results.
“I want to stay in (my house) until the day I die…I pleaded with them, I told them that I was going to call Elliott Davis,” she said.
FOX 2 took a visit to the East St. Louis City Manager, Robert Betts, to ask him about what the city was trying to do to help.
“We are doing everything we can at this point to help alleviate those problems,” Betts said. “The city’s sewer truck has been in the shop, however, we’ve leased a truck and we’re in the process of purchasing a new truck to make sure that we’re prepared for those events in the future.”