Residents: Flooding Could Be Avoided

Many areas of Green Country are still dealing with problems caused by the latest round of severe weather. The News On 6's Chris Wright reports the people in one Bixby neighborhood near 171st & S. 90th E. Ave. say the flooding they experienced could have been avoided.

People say one road has created a dam that prevents water from crossing over it and causes constant flooding.

Residents rushed to remove furniture as the floodwaters continued to rise in Bixby on Thursday.  Water found its way into some homes, but the road remained dry.

While most of flooding across Green Country was inevitable, people in Bixby feel all this could have been avoided.

Harry Gorrell says the city added too much asphalt to the road, which now sits above his floor level, and essentially functions as a dam.

"The water can't cross the street anymore, and it backs up into my house. And the city's admitted it's the problem, but for 10 years they haven't fixed it," said Gorrell.

The Gorrell's had just refurbished the home and were actually ready to put it on the market this week.  But much of their work was ruined, and they now can't imagine finding anyone who would want to buy.

"All the money I've dumped into it just getting ready to do a fast sale below market value just to get out of here is wasted," said Gorrell.

Gorrell says he would also feel guilty selling the home to an unsuspecting buyer.  After all, this is the sixth time the house has flooded in the past 22 years.

He says Bixby has passed two bond issues aimed at fixing the problem, but nothing has worked.  And for Gorrell, the latest flood is the last straw.

"I'm tired of watching my kids go through it.  I'm tired of yesterday, you know, me and my wife breaking down, and we don't need it no more," said Gorrell.

The Gorrell's would eventually like their home demolished, and a retention pond placed there that would prevent flooding in the future.

Calls to the City of Bixby were not returned.

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