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San Carlos family begs City of San Diego for help from flooding

Their property regularly floods when it rains. The city said months ago that it’s planning to fix the problem, but still hasn’t started the job.

SAN DIEGO — With our recent rains, we've seen a lot of San Diegans dealing with flooded homes. Among them, a family in San Carlos, but for them this isn't a one-time problem. They deal with flooding almost every time it rains.

“It's very stressful,” said Valorie McGee. 

CBS 8 first met the McGee’s last March when they sent us video after video of flooding at their home. The McGee's live on a road that slopes down and a drainage channel diverts water from a neighboring street onto theirs. Because of that, even a little rain leads to a lot of water and there's no storm drain to catch it.

Working for You, CBS 8 reached out to the city back in March and they blamed the problem on the placement of the McGee's home. 

"It was constructed below the street level with a driveway that slopes downhill toward the home. During intense rain, stormwater runoff flows downhill and spills over the driveway apron on to the property and into the garage," a city representative said in an email.

But video clearly shows that the water actually jumps the curb before it even gets to their driveway. The McGee's have piled sandbags up on the sidewalk, but even they can’t hold the water back.

At CBS 8's urging, the city agreed to take another look and asked us to give them a couple months. 

"Our stormwater crews are working on a solution that they expect can be implemented before the next rainy season," they said in May.

“The city told me that they would come out and put a drain right in front of my house,” Valorie said, adding that the city also told her the work would definitely be done before the end of the year. 

“They come out, they talk to me and say they're gonna do it, but has it been done? No.”

Valorie saw what happened in Mountain View and feels their pain - the city knowing about a problem, but doing nothing until it's too late. 

“I don't know what it's going to take,” she said. “Me to lose my home?”

Working for You, CBS 8 reached back out to the city to find out why they didn't fix the problem. 

Instead of answering that question, they told us, "The work will be done by our in house team but I don't yet have a time when this will be funded and slated for construction." 

CBS 8 asked why there's been a delay. 

"I did bring it up to Stormwater staff and they are aware. I'll let you know when there are any updates," a city spokesperson said.

CBS 8 will continue to press the city for a construction date. Valorie hopes it’s sooner rather than later. 

“Just do what you say you're going to do and we're all fine,” she said. “Just do what you say you're going to do. Come take care of the neighborhood. Please, I'm begging you.”

   

WATCH RELATED: San Carlos homeowner says city is backing out on its promise to address flooding

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