Staff photo / Emily Scott ...Les Wright addresses Boardman trustees and asks them why nothing has been done since previous house flooding in the township.

BOARDMAN — Boardman Township trustees got earfuls of criticism from residents Monday night about the damage done to their homes last weekend after heavy rain caused flooding.

About 100 people were in attendance.

Boardman on Sept. 4 got more than 4 inches of rain in three hours. The stormwater system was unable to keep up, leading to flooding on roads and on people’s property. Stormwater got into people’s homes, and some said they got 3 to 4 feet of water inside.

The sanitary sewer system also was overwhelmed by stormwater, causing backflow to enter people’s homes. Several people spoke of feces floating around their basements and showers.

One couple, Yavohne and Chris Williamson, said they still have not been able to get rid of the smell in their basement, which comes up through the rest of their house.

Resident Mike Melone, said his house flooded, not because of sewage backup, but because of an ineffective stormwater system. He paid $25,000 in 2018 to get his home sealed after his basement flooded and convinced himself it would never happen again. On Sept. 4 when the rain started coming down hard, Melone shut his water off and monitored his sump pump.

Before long, the pressure built and his basement flooded. Water poured in and filled the space 3 feet high, he said.

“For the second time in four years, my kids had to watch their stuff get marched to the curb to be thrown away,” Melone said.”They had PTSD for a while after 2018. Every time it rained, they would ask, ‘Dad, is the house going to flood?’I would say, ‘No, it’s not going to flood. We took care of it.’ I was wrong.”

Several other residents said they’ve spent as much as $15,000 already in the last eight days trying to clear water out of their house and replace destroyed property.

TWO SYSTEMS

The sanitary and storm drainage systems are separate, but Jason Loree, township administrator and board member for ABC Water and Storm Water District, said problems with the sanitary system are to blame.

Loree said the sanitary system experiences problems during high levels of rain because the sanitary lines get water through footers on people’s property, water enters manholes that should be sealed, the sanitary system has cracks, and possible overflow ties have still not been found and fixed.

Loree and the trustees received a lot of criticism during the meeting for not fixing problems with the storm water system earlier, because this is not the first time Boardman has experienced flooding. On Aug. 10, 2018, more than 4 inches fell in three hours and on May 28, 2019, almost 4 inches fell in three hours.

“Clearly, we’re not where we need to be, and that’s why we want to listen to all of you tonight,” Trustee Larry Moliterno said.

CALL THE COUNTY

One person who received much criticism, but was not there to answer it, was Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti. When one woman asked Loree and the board who to call next time feces and feminine products are floating in her basement, Loree told her to call Ginnetti.

Boardman Township has no hand in replacing sanitary pipes and fixing problems in that system because it is owned by the county, he said.

Boardman set up a hot line to call to report damage through the Mahoning County Emergency Management Office, so that the township may be able to qualify for federal aid to help residents. Loree said 86 percent of these calls have been to report sewage backup getting into their homes.

Moliterno said it is crucial that the township work with the county to resolve this sanitary issue for residents.

According to Loree, the ABC Water and Storm Water District, which covers Austintown, Canfield and Boardman, operated more than 1.1 million linear feet of storm sewers. Since its creation, it has completed 38 projects, is currently working on 10 projects and has 38 pending.

escott@tribtoday.com