The aftermath of the flash flooding two weeks ago is still affecting communities in Fort Worth, but neighbors in the West 7th area are doing their best to help clean up.
On Monday, volunteers from the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief team helped homeowners mitigate damage caused by water drainage issues left unaddressed by City officials.
The volunteers helped remove sheetrock and insulation from the homes on Templeton Drive in an attempt to prevent the house from molding.
Almost all of the homes on Templeton Drive suffered from the effects of the flooding.
Resident Dane Wicks took issue with the City for not addressing the drainage and water issues before the flooding, claiming to NBC 5 that city leaders “already knew about” the problems and potential for severe flooding.
Other residents claimed that their calls and complaints regarding the drainage system had been ignored.
Wicks told NBC 5 that he did not think his family would need flood insurance as their home was “almost four feet above street level.”
Residents plan to ask for solutions at upcoming meetings.
The Fort Worth drainage system maintenance website states that street flooding often results from blocked inlets in storm drains, either because the drain is too small or because the drains need cleaning.
Just three weeks ago, the Fort Worth stormwater management program discussed plans to increase its taxpayer funding by $8 million over the next five years. This would result in the spending of $136 million in state and local taxpayer money on anti-flood initiatives.
However, according to the City’s analysis in 2020, it would need $1 billion in taxpayer money to fix 300 of Fort Worth’s flood-prone areas.
The City is focusing resources on flood mapping that could potentially help in future development decisions. It will also aid prospective home buyers as they would be fully knowledgeable of the flood risks in certain areas.
