PARMA, Ohio — Heavy rain caused some significant flash-flooding in parts of Cuyahoga County overnight Sunday, leaving inches of water inside homes and making roads impassable for drivers.
All of that flooding left some homeowners in Parma thinking 'here we go again.' Many of them say they are fed up with waiting for a solution.
Maggie Kulacz said a flood wiped out her basement four years ago so she put about $25,000 into it for repairs and got it back into tip top shape two years ago.
But now, it’s all been ruined —again.
“Rain’s coming down. I’m like 'somebody’s going to flood.' All of a sudden my dog runs downstairs, I go look and my whole basement’s flooded,” Kulacz said.
Kulacz said she had no way of stopping the water once it started rushing in. It even started filling up her bathtub, leaving behind dirt and grime once the water receded.
The constant flooding is something people in Parma have been dealing with for years.
“It’s frustrating,” Kulacz said.
Her frustrations are aimed directly at city leaders.
“We call the city for help. We ask them to come out and assist us and it's always passed off to someone else,” Kulacz said.
Last year, Parma officials told News 5 that they were waiting for the results of a flow study from the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District to start working on a solution.
Sunday, they told us they expect the sewer district to release the results sometime this year.
Homeowner Bryan Lewis isn’t satisfied with that answer.
“It's a city problem, but yet we’re the ones paying thousands and thousands of dollars to fix it on our end, when it starts in the street,” Lewis said.
His home didn’t suffer much damage last night because of safeguards he put in place, but his neighbor Eric Capp got about six inches of water in his basement.
“All of a sudden it just started coming through some of the mains. I tried to catch it with buckets. It was working for a second and then it just didn’t stop,” Capp said.
Now faced with renovating his basement for a second time, he’s got a warning for potential home buyers.
“I wouldn’t tell anyone to come to Parma. I mean why? You’re going to deal with this?"
The City of Parma released this statement to News 5 regarding Sunday's flooding:
"The heavy rains last night that caused basement flooding for many residents not only impacted Parma but communities throughout Northeast Ohio. Mayors and city officials from Parma Heights, Middleburg Heights and North Royalton have been in contact with each other to understand the scope of the damage and share the best ways to handle the flood damage within their cities.
Last night, the Parma Fire Department received more than 50 calls. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
Since early this morning, the mayor, the service director and service crew members have been out in the community. Also, city leaders have been in contact with council members all day and will continue to receive reports from them about their wards. The mayor and service director appreciate the council members’ reports, which are helping the city assess the damage.
Additionally, service crews are clearing headwalls today that became blocked with flood debris from last night’s storm.
Starting this Monday and throughout the week, Service Department crews will pick up flood-damaged bulk items placed on tree lawns.
Flooding at any time is stressful, but for it to occur during a pandemic is particularly challenging. This is a difficult time for Parma and Northeast Ohio residents. City leaders are asking for everyone’s patience and cooperation as they work through this. City leaders will continue to be in contact with residents."
RELATED: Parma residents angered by epic July flooding
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
