NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio Every time it rains, homeowners living in the North Royalton community find themselves on high alert and worried about what they say is an increasing risk of flooding.
Jean Harhay and several of her neighbors who live along Jupiter, Athena and Saturn drives told News 5 they live in constant fear of a creek running through their adjoining backyards. Hahay said she has seen the creek expand in depth and width over the past few years and said creek debris is a persistent problem that raises growing concerns about water levels.
Every time it rains, the water gets deeper and deeper because there is silt in the creek and garbage underneath. whereabouts. So it’s just a matter of time before the dirt continues to erode and creeks appear here.
Gene’s husband, Jim Harhay, told News 5 he believes rising creek levels are a real community safety risk as well.
I’ve been a firefighter for 35 years and I’ve seen tragic accidents,” Harhay said. “A kid might think he’s just playing in the street and then walk out here and fall into a creek 10 feet deep and get sucked under a pipe.
North Royalton homeowner Michael Galloway said concerns about flooding in the community are not unfounded, showing News 5 a series of photos of his flooded neighborhood after widespread storms in 2012. , high water issues are burdening other important community systems.
“Stormwater is getting into the sanitary pipes, so there’s a problem and it’s just going to create more capacity in the sanitary system,” Galloway said. “If the city can work with us to dredge it and then work with Broadview Heights as well, that’s Very good.
News 5 contacted North Royalton Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz about the incident and the mayor responded quickly. The mayor said the creek is not legally the city’s responsibility. The mayor said he is working with residents to resolve the issue and issued the following statement.
I went out to meet residents on site to understand the issue. I told her that it was the city’s responsibility that our stormwater crews would be inspecting the inlets, outlets, and basins to make sure they were clear of obstructions. We did just that the next morning and repaired a section of the fence. The ditch is open and clear of debris. I just want to highlight that we also have a program in place that allows property owners to join forces and apply for funding from the city. We have been working hard with residents to assist with stormwater management issues.
Mayor Antoskiewicz promised to help the community apply for financial assistance through the Stormwater Management Assistance Program as long as they receive multiple bids from licensed contractors who can clean up debris from the creek.
Meanwhile, homeowners like Maggie Hubert are hoping the mayor and his team will take action soon to help fix the creek issues.
“All these trees are down, our neighbors are old, who’s going to take care of it, this is city water,” Hubert said. Fixing the problem, cleaning it, unclogging it so it can flow properly will be a good start.
Information about the North Royalton Stormwater Management Assistance Program can be found here.
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