72°
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
7 Day Forecast
Follow our weather team on social media

FEMA dirt pile creating mess for property owner

6 years 11 months 1 week ago Monday, April 17 2017 Apr 17, 2017 April 17, 2017 5:50 PM April 17, 2017 in News
Source: WBRZ

DENHAM SPRINGS - Large mounds of dirt have been creating an issue for a homeowner who recently moved back into his home following the August flood.

Donald Spencer says the dirt washes from the property next door onto his yard every time it rains and sits on his property. The dirt is now caking his yard, preventing him from mowing his lawn.

"It's aggravating, it's a nuisance," he said. "It's annoying more than anything."

Following each rain, he says three to four inches of muddy water sits in his yard for up to a week. 

"It won't go away, it won't drain," he said. "It just sits there for so long."

Spencer says after calling the city to address the issue, the company using the land at the corner of Florida Blvd. and Pinoak Street placed a make-shift levee along the property to improve the situation. He says that hasn't worked.

Mayor Gerard Landry tells 2 On Your Side the dirt belongs to a subcontractor working with FEMA to prep Manufactured Housing Units. Now that the MHU prepping has been complete for weeks, Spencer wonders why the dirt is still there creating problems for his yard.

"Put a drain in or get rid of the dirt," said Spencer.

Monday afternoon, FEMA claimed this dirt. It says the dirt pile will be removed by the subcontractor by end of the week and the concrete pad it is sitting on will be pressure-washed. The water flow will be directed in the opposite direction of Spencer's home.

Spencer tells 2 On Your Side he is happy with the update.

More News

Desktop News

Click to open Continuous News in a sidebar that updates in real-time.
Radar
7 Days