ST. LOUIS — The Ellendale neighborhood wants answers from the Metropolitan Sewer District and city leaders about the massive flooding in and around their homes.
5 On Your Side talked to people who say they're at a standstill between what they can save, and what's already lost.
"The water came within an inch of overflowing into our main floor from our basement," Ellendale resident Jeff Boshans said.
Tuesday's flooding lasted just a few hours, but it took a few years from the Boshans.
"30 years' worth of things that can't be replaced. Autographed items, old promos, vintage things her grandpa has given her," Deb Boshans said.
Floodwater hit their basement as high as nine feet. But the damage didn't stop in their home. A manhole spewed for hours that morning, flooding the neighborhood."
"We have a dog house in our yard. We don't know where that came from," Deb Boshans said.
The Boshans and other residents are wanting answers from the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD).
"When we have a system failure we take full responsibility of that," MSD spokesperson Sean Hadley said. "This instance was an occurrence of Mother Nature."
MSD said the river overflowed, which is an issue they can't control.
"The system actually operated like it was supposed to," Hadley said. "In this area, the river jumped its banks."
The Boshans said it was easier to point out what's gone, rather than what's left.
"Just imagine all of your belongings in a room in the basement that basically floated to the ceiling and then came crashing down." Jeff Boshans said.
It's not this neighborhood's first time dealing with a flood. So they know one thing for certain. The rain won't wash away each other or their years of memories.
"We'd like to be made whole but we don't know what that looks like. It's very hard to understand what that's gonna look like," Jeff Boshans said.