Middle River Homeowners Call For City's Help After Frequent Flooding
BALTIMORE Co., Md. (WJZ) — The people who live in Middle River along Brien's Run—a stream that overflowed during flash flooding Tuesday—are demanding action from county leaders to mitigate frequent floods that have inundated the neighborhood off Alloy Circle.
"That water was powerful," said Sierra Woods, a resident of the area. "It broke through the fence. What if it moves the house?"
Her neighbor Steve Myers showed WJZ the bed of Brien's Run, which had trash and brush. He said calls to county leaders to clean it up have gone unanswered.
"What is all of this going to look like in 20 years? If nothing is done, it's not going to be here," Myers said.
From Chopper 13 Tuesday, Terry Cooper could be seen wading back toward his house surrounded by several feet of water. He has young children and said the floods cause anxiety.
"The elected officials haven't done anything yet," Cooper said. "Nobody has done anything about it."
"It's progressively getting worse," said Cooper's neighbor, Amanda Fowler. She had to call firefighters after water filled her basement and submerged her electrical breaker box.
The Baltimore County Department of Public Works told WJZ in a statement there was little they could do:
"Drainage issues are particularly challenging to address in older communities built in or near floodplain areas, such as Alloy Court, which also has inherently flat topography that does not drain well in heavy storms. This location has a vulnerable stream system that swells beyond its banks during heavy rains. Debris and sediment are left behind.
This area is one of many older neighborhoods with persistent drainage issues in Baltimore County and the region. DPW keeps public infrastructure open and safe, offers technical advice to private property owners and supports capital projects where feasible to address stormwater drainage issues. Unfortunately, local government is not in a position to remediate stormwater problems on private property."
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