Heavy rains flood apartment complex in Rockland County town of Spring Valley
SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. -- Saturday afternoon's heavy rain left tenants at an apartment complex in Rockland County furious.
They told CBS2's Astrid Martinez flooding happens often during storms.
It was a rough day for quite a few people at the Spring Valley complex due to rain and the flooding of their building. Tenants called the fire chief and police looking for help.
"We've gone through this. They come here, they pump it out, they leave us to deal with the management and nothing happens," Tanika said.
Every unit in the lower level of the complex was inundated with water when rain fell Saturday afternoon.
"Well, every time it rains heavily it's a flooded zone, basically. It's like a pool," a tenant named Carolyn said.
Frustrated and furious tenants began recording the destruction on their cellphones, showing CBS2 the water gushing through doors, coming inside the closets, the kitchen, through the pantries and the cabinets.
"This is my last. I'm moving. I've had enough of this. I can't take another one," Carolyn said.
Carolyn, who has been living at the complex for six years, said the apartments flood with every heavy downpour.
"I've lost my stuff in a storage over there, like almost two rooms of stuff from all that water that comes in, and there's no compensation for it," Carolyn said.
Residents blame the problem on faulty storm water drains around the complex. Saturday's storm water also damaged several cars in the parking lot, leaving many inoperable.
"This is the second time my car got flooded and this time it's totaled," a tenant said.
That tenant didn't want to speak on camera, but did show Martinez the inside of his vehicle.
"Water in my seat. I can't start. It's all flooded. I don't know what to say. It's the only car I have, and now I don't get to work every day. It's crazy," the tenant said.
When the super was made aware of the problem, he started pumping water out if the building. Martinez asked Carolyn what else was being done by the apartment complex to get some of the issues corrected.
"They just turned you to the leasing office and then you get nowhere from there," she said.
Residents are trying to figure out what to do next. They've called police and the Red Cross to get some assistance. Many families with children had to rent hotels for the evening out of their own pocket.
Martinez called the leasing office to get answers several times, but no one answered.
