x
Breaking News
More () »

Drainage issues frustrate Jacksonville homeowners as rainwater floods their neighborhood

Keith Cawthern lives in the Augustine Green neighborhood and recently noticed clogging drains, causing a water back-up around his home.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — People living in a Jacksonville neighborhood off Old St. Augustine Road say when it rains, it pours. 

And when it pours, their frustrations rise just as quickly as the water.

"We are in the middle of hurricane season right now and if they don't fix this problem, I mean there is going to be some serious floods," Keith Cawthern told First Coast News. 

Cawthern had an unwanted visitor Thursday in his Augustine Green neighborhood, and he fears the water won't see its way out.

"I think the buck stops with the city, the city needs to do their job and clear out these floods," Cawthern said. 

Others have reached out to the city and a letter posted on their front doors by the Augustine Green Homeowner's Association urges more people to do the same. They were told the nearby drains outside the community are clogged with debris, bottles, trash and dead animals.

Cawthern says it's causing a back-up with the drains in his community.  He says he first noticed the problem after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

"It didn't flood as nearly as bad as it flooded right now," Cathern said.

First Coast News reached out to the city for comment.

"Augustine Green Court is a private roadway for a townhome community.  Their drainage system is privately owned and maintained so this would be the property owner that would need to address the issue. COJ maintains Old St. Augustine Road and accepts the discharge from this community after it exits from their stormwater pond. We will inspect the Old St. Augustine Road system today to ensure it is open for flow.

As for the ticket (220726-000425) they are referring to, this is where COJ has indicated we will flush our cross drain on Old St. Augustine Road. We can't work on private property. Please note, their video's showed their roadway to be under water, but it showed Old St. Augustine Road to be high and dry."

The president of the homeowner's association says he was told the drainage systems that are maintained by the city should be cleared by the end of September. 

Before You Leave, Check This Out