‘It rains for days, we flood out:’ St. Marys rental community is facing a longstanding flooding problem

ST. MARYS, Ga. — Action News Jax is looking into what is being done to help some residents in St. Marys.

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The Colerain Oaks Rental Homes continues to face flooding after storms.

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Staff at the property have pumped water for three days after Tropical Storm Debby, and with those efforts the water has gone down significantly.

But its drainage ditches around their neighborhood they said are clogged up and are causing their community to flood.

Camilee Cartwright has lived in the community for close to 15 years.

“Serious rain, it rains for days, we flood out,” said Cartwright.

READ: First Alert Weather: Black Creek flooding reaches over 19 feet, water begins entering homes

Cartwright has been through many storms.

“Irma was horrible,” said Cartwright. “It knocked all of the vinyl skirting down.”

After Debby, Cartwright said her yard looked like a lake.

And the flooding is not getting any better.

The Regional Asset Manager of the property, Lynelle Davis, said over time the ditches on Colerain road have clogged.

“With them being so clogged with cattails and trash and debris the water is going to flow so slow that they never get emptied,” said Davis.

READ: ‘Hope everything is going to be okay:’ Nearly 500 people could be impacted from Black Creek flooding in Clay County

Emails dating back to 2014 show Davis expressing concern to the city about the ditches and culverts around their property.

And on January 16th Davis asked the city manager, Robert Horton, to address this longstanding issue. That same day emails show Horton responded saying he is looking into it.

Action News Jax Alexus Cleavenger asked Horton if anything was done after that email was sent in January.

He said: The drains are working, and water is flowing. However, they will be clearing the ditches and checking the culverts again to ensure that they flow.

We’re told over the next couple of weeks the ditches will be cleared and the culverts will be checked.

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