Wilmington woman experiencing issues getting around due to flooding problem in front of her home

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Ethel Gerald has lived in her home at the corner of North 5th Avenue and Campbell Street for over five decades. For the past several years, Gerald says flooding in the roadway surrounding her house has become a growing problem.

“When it rains, if I take my walk, I can’t be able to take the walk because it’s just too flooded out there for me,” Gerald said. “I have a disability. That’s the reason I have the walker.”

She says she has reached out to the city of Wilmington several times, but the issue still occurs any time it rains.

“So far it hasn’t been fixed,” Gerald continued. “They just come pump some of the water. And when it rains again, they return and pump some more water.”

Ethel’s son Arnett Gerald share the concerns of his mother, pointing out the impact the flooding has her ability to get around.

“Had to take my mom to the emergency room one Saturday,” Arnett Gerald said. “It was just difficult getting her into my SUV to get her to the emergency room. You know, we’re just kind of tired of seeing this problem.”

Jennifer Dandron with the City of Wilmington says they are aware of the issue in front of the Geralds’ home.

But she says when they fix it depends on how quickly they can repair other water drainage problems around the city.

“We have a running list of areas that need to be maintained,” Dandron said. “That list is something we review weekly and prioritize based off concerns to public health and public safety. That helps which get addressed in what order.”

Despite the delays, Dandron says they are listening to concerns of residents and will fix all the problems as soon as they can.

“We’re working to get to it,” Dandron said. “We just appreciate a little patience as we work to address it. We will get to it.”

The City of Wilmington encourages anyone to call the storm water hotline at 910-332-6565 if you experience flooding issues in your area.