ORANGE COUNTY, Texas — People in the Mauriceville area are watching and waiting after dealing with the aftermath of Thursday's storms flooding.
Some homeowners said they're feeling helpless. Flooding is an event they're getting used to. Now they are continuing to wonder what it is going to take for the drainage system in the county to be taken seriously.
The sight and sound of rain usually provides peace and calm, but it is stressful for people who live in Mauriceville.
Thursday's storms turned Miles Coleman's backyard into a giant pond.
"I can't keep putting my family through this," he said. "My frustration is that every time it rains, it won't drain off. Even in a light rain it takes a full day to a day and a half to drain out of my ditches."
Coleman said this wasn't the case before Tropical Storm Harvey. Since then, he said the drainage system has failed him after every storm, and something needs to change.
Mike Owens is another Mauriceville resident who said he is getting use to this. He is also the founder of Team 409 Search and Rescue, a group of people with trucks, boats and ATVs ready to rescue those who need it when it floods.
"When it would rain, it would run off pretty quick, and now when it rains, it backs up on us," Owens said.
As happy as he said he is to lend a helping hand, he also believes the drainage system needs to be taken care of.
"Where the drainage district is saying they're cleaning, evidentially they're not cleaning in the right places, because it seems to back up the same everywhere," Owens said.
I just hope that they really realize how serious this is, and that they really need to take some action at this," Colemans said.
But both men are know that nothing will change overnight, ahead of this next round of rain. In the meantime, Owens said he will continue to help where he can.
"Tomorrow we're ready to go," he said. "We're just waiting on phone calls and we'll dispatch out and help who we can."
12News contacted the Orange County Office of Emergency Management and the Orange County Drainage District, but neither office was available for comment.
Orange County Judge John Gothia said Thursday that a new grant the county received would go toward more equipment. Homeowners in Mauriceville feel that help cannot come soon enough.
