Tate County, MS—
FAST FACTS:
- Golden Pond Subdivision began flooding early this year
- Some homes made unliveable
- Engineers studying drainage
dennis.turner@wreg.com
(Tate County, MS 11/11/2009) A subdivision with expensive homes has developed a flooding problem.
It's just outside the town of Coldwater, not far from Arkabutla Lake. The flooding has threatened several homes a few times already this year and even ruined some.
Folks that have lived in the Golden Pond Subdivision say they never used to have a flooding problem until this year.
Now they're asking Tate County Supervisors to keep them high and dry. "So what you basically have here is a non-flood plain that has now created a flood plain." said Perry Naff who saw water come within half an inch of his home a couple of months ago.
Naff worries every time it rains, though for years, he never had to.
His Golden Pond subdivision saw water backing up along drainage canals and onto Naff's, and others' property. "Well you've helpless you're standing there thinking what am I gonna do about this? And what can I do now to prevent it?" he explained.
Homeowners here blame a maze of drainage ditches and canals they say have become clogged and even run in reverse. They also blame a nearby cotton farmer who they believe diverted a drainage path through a field making a bad situation, worse.
Flooding has threatened several homes here and damaged a few, like one, which took on two feet of water in August, and still isn't livable today.
Folks here say they've taken their problem to County Supervisors, but without much luck. "When we talked to County officials, everybody started pointing their fingers at some other direction and we're still sittin' in the water hole." said neighbor John Alexander.
He says, the Army Corps of Engineers has been involved from nearby Arkabutla Lake, and even Mississippi's Department of Transportation. "No one seems to care but the people involved." Alexander explained.
He says many here have taken out flood insurance to prepare for the next time, because they're afraid they won't get the help they need from the local government. "Not a lot of doin. Lot of talkin', not a lot of doin'."
Supervisor Tony Sandridge tells us Tate County does have some "doin'" goin' on.
He says County Engineers are studying the problem, and the board hopes to come up with a solution in the next few weeks.
The folks at Golden Pond tell me they plan to make sure of it.
So will we.
