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TxDOT to Hold Public Meetings This Week to Discuss Highly Trafficked Roads 6/16/13
Business Owners Speak Out About Flooding 09/28/12
CBS 7 News
Robert Guaderrama
rguaderrama@cbs7.com
September 28, 2012
ECTOR COUNTY, TX - The rain wasn't welcomed by all, flooding caused some major damage especially for one Ector County business owner. Rain pours down on west Texas, turning some roads and fields into flowing rivers and lakes, but for one business owner, the water drained into his shop.
Rigoberto Hernandez, the owner of Nica’s Auto Service says he doesn't have flood insurance because he doesn't qualify as his shop is below ground level. He's expecting $50,000 in damage plus a loss of business as he cleans up the mess.
"The office, my tools, cars, everything is covered its full of water inside, it's very bad," said Rigoberto Hernandez, Owner, Nica’s Auto Service.
Hernandez tells us what's most frustrating is that water is supposed to drain into a drainage system at the end of 67th street but the pipe is too small to handle the flow of water.
"We need a pipe, like a 4 ft pipe, not 12 inches," said Hernandez.
Antero Perez owns a soccer field next door that is now flooded, he says the county and TxDOT keep giving him the run-around.
"We've been talking to the county and they jump from the state to the county the county says, it's a state problem and the state says it's the county's," said Antero Perez, Business Owner.
We spoke with Ector County who tells us it's a TxDOT problem because drainage on Andrews Highway, a state highway, is not up to par. TxDOT says the opposite, that the flooding is on 67th. Street, a county road and it's drainage system is to blame.
"What we do know is we have the problem and I don't think it'll take that much to put a big pipe to get the water, it makes a lot of damage," said Perez.
Ector County and TxDOT both tell CBS 7 they will be looking into the issue.