SAN ANTONIO – At least six homes in the Lackland Heights subdivision were partially flooded by Sunday's overnight downpour, according to District 4 City Councilman Rey Saldana, who represents the area.
Saldana said he and his staff have been visiting with affected residents about how the city could possibly help.
But several residents said they blamed the newly rebuilt Medina Base Road next to their subdivision for making matters worse in their already flood-prone area.
"I just think if they had put more drainage when they were doing the construction, none of this would have happened, said Ambrosia Martinez, a Lackland Heights subdivision resident.
However, City Engineer Mike Frisbie said Medina Base Road now has inlets to divert water underground. He said the flooding would have been far worse if the road had been lowered without a storm drainage system.
"It's just a lot of water that accumulates in this area," Frisbie said. "It's going to take multiple projects to solve it completely."
Frisbie said the city is working with Lackland Air Force Base on how to hold back runoff coming from the base.
By voters approving the last bond issue, Frisbie said $7.5 million will go toward the long term solution of expanding the Indian Creek channel that winds behind the subdivision.
Frisbie said that will allow floodwaters to spread out over a wider area instead of being forced into the neighborhood.
"I say, wait and see," said Enrique Torres, who lives next to small creek overgrown with weeds.
Torres said after flooding his house, the water rose in his backyard until he and frantic neighbors sloshed through waist deep water to tear a hole in his fence.
"Once we did that, the flood went away," Torres said.
Saldana said he is grateful his constituents voted for the bond issue that should bring the area the relief it needs.
"It's supposed to take homes out of the floodplain," Saldana said. "That's exactly what we're hoping it's going to do over the next few years."
To view a list of recent stories Jessie Degollado has done, click here.