The flood waters have receded just about everywhere in mid-Michigan, but not at the corner of Canal Road and Columbia highway in Eaton County. People tell us the intersection has been flooded for the last three weeks and they haven't been able to get the county to tell them anything. FOX 47's Marcus Dash went to work to get answers for them. Trucks and bigger cars can get by, but people driving something smaller have to go out of their way to get to places.
"It could be as much as five miles out of the way, so that is a major inconvenience," said Paul Barbour.
Barbour said the flood that happened in Lansing was in a way a good thing because it's bringing attention to a problem that happens in mid-Michigan because right here it's not the first time this has flooded.
"It was interesting that nobody ever commented on this on any of the news stations last year, about two weeks, and this year its the first time it has been like this," said Barbour.
One neighbor told me he's seen county workers moving signs and measuring the water.
"They've been repositioning the signs and to observe the process of the water receding," said Sherman.
Others said they haven't been able to get drain Commissioner Richard Wagner to call them back or provide any answers, so I went to his office. He was out for the day. Deputy Drain Commissioner Eric Deibel eventually got back to me and told me his office is aware of the flooding. He says the drain just isn't big enough to handle the flooding quickly. Deibel expects the water to be gone within 48 hours.
Sherman says its a problem when he's getting this information from me and not the county.
"It would definitely help if they would have a channel of communication with the residents in the area," said Sherman.
The deputy drain commissioner told me the only way to keep something like this from happening again is to build a bigger drain. That can't happen unless homeowners here file a petition for one. So far nobody has stepped up to do it.
