Norfolk residents take anger to Mayor

NORFOLK, Va. - Last month, The Spartan Village neighborhood in Norfolk was flooded after heavy rains. Many of the homes were damaged.

Residents called WAVY.com after the storm saying city leaders weren't helping them with the clean up.

"We've never had an incident where we've had a neighborhood get swamped like this and so we don't have a protocol," said Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim.

It has been a very long month for Spartan Village residents.

"I can't go to sleep when it rains," said resident Tranace Baker. "I look outside my window and wonder is it flooding yet?"

The fears continue to rise up just like the water did last month when the city got more than four inches of rain in an hour. Spartan Village took the brunt of it. Water covered the streets and flowed into homes.

"This is the third time that it has flooded inside my home," said resident Omar White. "A lot of people are experiencing it for the first time."

On Monday night, residents took their concerns right to Norfolk's highest official. They wanted to now what Mayor Paul Fraim and the rest of City Council are doing to help them. The mayor answered every question and concern. He admits Spartan Village has sunk into a bowl and problem is getting worse.

"The runoff and the flooding is more prominent today," added Fraim. "It has been increasing over time."

The city's storm water engineers are surveying the land to see what can be done. It's a long process and one which has frustrations overflowing.

"Why can't we get some tar in here and help level us out?" One resident asked.

Officials are looking into federal and state funding for flood victims, but they say getting money takes time. This is something residents don't want to hear.

"It's going to rain more and continue to flood," added White. "God knows what is going to happen the next time."

City leaders say another suggestion is simply buying all of the homes from the residents so they would be able to move somewhere else.