Debris is piling up in one St. Peters neighborhood hard hit by last week's historic flooding. Residents in Westwood Estates say a sewer backup coupled with the flooding will keep some of them out of their homes for weeks, if not months.
Several dump trucks full of rotted drywall, flood damaged furniture and other items were hauled out of Westwood Estates Monday afternoon. But that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to flood damage in the neighborhood. Cindy Meyers found out about the flood damage in the worst way possible.
"I was in Florida. All these guys called me and told me my house was underwater. I had pictures of water pouring in the back of the basement windows," said Meyers, who has lived in Westwood Estates for five years.
What she couldn't see from Florida was Dardenne Creek overflowing its banks and the sewer system backing up into basements across the neighborhood.
"It was very panicked. It was very scary. You're just trying to carry your most prized possessions. Luckily we were able to sandbag some of the windows to stop some water from coming in," said Denise Koenig, who had several feet of water in her home as well.
Meyers home sustained some of the worst damage in the area.
"The water was definitely up to the ceiling in the basement. The walls are warped. I'm displaced at the Drury Inn at this point. We have no water, no heat, no electric," said Meyers.
The water here has been gone almost a week but the cleanup will continue for months. Many people here feel like they're not getting a lot of help.
"The neighborhood has been like a family, the comradery is wonderful. But when it comes to resources, you don't even know where to go to," said Meyers.
"People could still use dehumidifiers, things like that. Those who are elderly need help getting drywall out, carpeting," said Koenig.
Homeowners say Central county fire and rescue has been helping some residents with dry wall removal, but the cleanup effort has been slow. Some even blame the failures of the city's sewer system for making last week's historic flooding that much worse.
"Fix the problem! I have five children, all my kids baby photos are wet and you can't replace that," said Meyers.
A spokesman for the city of St. Peters says they are aware of capacity issues with the sewer system, and they hope to make adjustments by the end of the year. Anyone who needs help from the city of St. Peters is asked to call 636-477-6600, ext 1229
The Red Cross announced they are now assigning case workers to seriously impacted areas like Westwood Estates, and resources like medicine, food and shelter may be available to those who need it. If you need help from the Red Cross call 314-516-2700.
