Hurricane remnants leave many Topekans watching the Shunga Creek
4:12 p.m. Sunday, September 14, 2008
"You get kind of anxious, you know you start to think what do I need to start packing, or put up to higher ground," President of the Valley Park Neighborhood Improvement Association Rose Mary Medrano said.
Many neighbors in the Valley Park neighborhood share the same concerns about the Shunga Creek.
A battle they've been fighting for years. "Every time it rains you wonder how much is it going to rain, how much rain is coming, how is it going to effect the creek," Medrano said.
And with all of the hurricane-spawned weather, neighbors are keeping an eye out of the creek in front of their homes. "It just kept raining and raining, and I was trying to decide do I put on a poncho and get the umbrella and go across the street, with some old shoes," neighbor Evelyn Barngrover said.
Neighbors often walk down the path to check on the creek during heavy rainfall.
But Mike Molter says since he doesn't live across the street he doesn't check the creek as much, but he's still affected when the waters get high. "Every time it rains hard for a little while we have to contend with all my neighbors, have to contend with sewage being pushed back up into their house because it over loads the system," Molter said.
Many neighbors say it's time something is done, so they can be at ease, and not have to worry every time it rains. "You get anixous, stressed, and Friday was really stressful," Barngrover said.
"We just naturally feel that way especially with what we went through last year," Medrano said.
And after these high waters in 2007, neighbors are debating on leaving. "I'm considering moving, and I wasn't planning on doing that," Molter said.
"I don't know whether I'll try to leave here in a couple of years, or stay here, I've been here 46 years. It's my home, my kids grew up here," Barngrover said.
But one thing's for certain, "If it's raining really hard you watch this canal, and you can just watch the water rise," Molter said.
Medrano says she spoke with county emergency officials about the problem.
They told her the county is hoping to put in a piping system by December.
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