PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – A Portsmouth woman reached out to 10 On Your Side about the flooding on her street that she said comes up to her doorstep when it rains.
Resident Jasmine Clark lives along Scott Street and believes drainage issues causes the street to go underwater.
“Every time it rains, it floods, and it comes all the way up to my step, where nobody [can] come in,” Clark said. “Can’t nobody get out of here, we had to have a rowboat to get out of here.”
Clark sent several pictures to 10 On Your Side of the street’s appearance following Thursday night’s rain. She said she’s been experiencing the floods since she moved there a year ago.
She added that it prevented her from getting to work and her two kids from getting to school on Friday.
“It was flooded and [there wasn’t any] way they was going to make it out of this house without them being soaking wet trying to get to school,” Clark said.
By Friday afternoon, the water levels were down on the street, but there were still high water levels between Clark and her neighbor’s house.
“I’ve been calling the city since this been going on, and all I got is, OK, they’re going to send somebody out here to check up on it,” Clark said. “And every time I call, I’m like, ‘Well, y’all need to come and check this storm drain, because that thing ain’t been cleaned out for a long time since the last people stayed here, like years ago.”
10 On Your Side has reached out to the city for a statement and we’re still awaiting a response.
“I just want some help, come out here and do something about this here,” Clark said, “because we shouldn’t have to suffer because of people not doing their job.”