Blockage In Drainage Pipe Adds To McKinney Flood Woes
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MCKINNEY (CBS11) — A community plagued by flooding this spring finds itself right back where it started even after efforts to fix chronic drainage problems.
Several homeowners in the community near the soil conservation service site reservoir in McKinney's extra-territorial jurisdiction can't even drive out of their driveways because of high waters, and that's just the beginning of their problems.
Bobby Patel's boat dock should represent the water's edge, but over the last few days flooding has crept increasingly close to his home.
"My biggest concern is my propane tank is sitting in the water, foot and a half. If another foot comes in, propane tank becomes floated, and it's basically disastrous to house," Patel said.
CBS11 first met Patel in May when flood waters caused the same problem. Since then, the Natural Resources Conservation Service installed a siphon pipe to drain the flood waters as a short-term solution. For the long-term they replaced a permanent drainage pipe at the nearby reservoir, but recently found a blockage that made the latest heavy rains a disaster.
"It is very discouraging," Patel said. "It's getting ridiculous to the point that you would think that, hey, it would fix the problem, and it didn't, so we basically keep getting back to square one."
For many of the homes in this community, the land falls within a flood easement area. That makes them vulnerable to heavy rains.
"Houses are blocked. People can't get in and out," Patrice Wheeler, a resident, said. "Livestock is in danger as well as the devaluation of our property due to fences down, loss of trees, land erosion."
Wheeler's pasture is underwater, preventing her livestock from grazing. So far her home hasn't been threatened, but it's her neighbors on the other side of a flooded bridge that worry her most.
"The water's too high for them to get across the creek to their vehicles, so the vehicles are safe over here, but they're stranded in their homes," Wheeler said.
Wheeler said last spring she and the other homeowners paid for four siphon pipes in addition to the one on Patel's property. They said it still took a month to drain the flood waters. Now they worry what will happen, with the main drainage pipe malfunctioning, if more rains come.
"If it's going to get clogged again on the next significant rain, we'll be back to square one again," Patel said.
CBS11 did speak to the agency working to fix this problem. They said they are in the process of clearing the blockage from the permanent pipe.
But it could take days to complete that process, and homeowners here worry that it still won't be enough.
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