SPRING VALLEY, Calif. (KGTV) — Spring Valley was just one of several neighborhoods devastated by the January storm earlier this year.
Broadview Street was one of the hardest hit, with dozens of people flooded out of their homes. Nearly nine months later some have yet to move back in.
Our ABC 10News reporter Laura Acevedo follows through with a homeowner who led a neighborhood-wide effort to clean storm drains behind their homes to prevent another flood.
Alicia Crow's home along Broadview Street looks brand new inside. Everything had to be redone, with a price tag of roughly $150,000. In June, Crow, her husband, and grandson finally moved back into their home.
Laura Acevedo first met Crow in January, nine days after the storm on the 22nd. After the flood, everything in her home had to be ripped out. The walls were cut marking how high the water made it inside.
She called ABC 10News back then, concerned about clogged Caltrans storms behind her and her neighbors' home. With more rain on the way, at the time, her neighborhood banded together to clean them up.
Crow says the drains are being maintained now, but says it's only when she calls to request that Caltrans come clean them. She says she’s called three times and says all three times, crews have showed up.
"I don’t think that that’s my responsibility, however, I can’t afford to lose anything again," says Crow about having to call and request the clean-up.
"It should be a routine thing, every month, every six weeks every other month, do seasonal work," says Crow about what she thinks could be a possible solution.
ABC 10News reached out to Caltrans for comment on her concerns and they sent us the following statement:
"Caltrans crews routinely inspect and clean drains, ditches, culverts, and other stormwater facilities on state property as part of regular maintenance of the transportation system. Those efforts are increased during the rainy season or when storms are forecasted. If residents have specific Caltrans-related questions or concerns in their community, they are encouraged to create a Customer Service Request at www.csr.dot.ca.gov [csr.dot.ca.gov], which will designate a supervisor to evaluate the situation."
Crow still worries about future storms and says her neighbors will continue cleaning the storm drains as needed, but her real hope is that Caltrans will maintain them- without having to be called.
"Do your job, make sure that the drain is clean so I don't lose everything again because I don't have the money or the time, the effort to rebuild my life again," says Crow.
