Residents all over the city of Soddy-Daisy are having issues with flooding every time it rains, and they’ve been expressing their frustration at the City Commission’s past three meetings at what they see as a lack of action by city, state and federal agencies.
Several creeks in the city are changing course after major floods, overtaking property and putting homes in danger, and residents said they want to see a flood mitigation plan in place before another high water event occurs.
Tiffany Winton, who lives in the 11300 block of Dayton Pike, expressed concern at the May 7 meeting about how city officials have handled flooding along Little Soddy Creek. She said she was never informed of the Federal Emergency Management Agency buyout program for which she and neighbors affected by flooding from the creek are eligible.
Rocks, silt and other debris run down the creek bed and into her yard and the yards of her neighbors. Winton said her home has flooded twice in the past 18 months because the eroded creek isn’t able to absorb heavy rains. The creek was at one time 6 feet deep, but now it’s only about one foot deep because of all the debris in the creek bed, she said.
City Manager Janice Cagle said the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation only allows the city to remove trees from the creek and not other debris.