CAMDEN, S.C. — Joanne Waldron, a resident of Camden residing on Hampton Street, is expressing frustration over recurring flooding issues in her neighborhood.
"Ultimately we're living with this mess every time it rains," Waldron says, highlighting the growing concern for potential damage to her property caused by the flooding.
Waldron shared images of the flooding with News19 and emphasized that the water flowing towards their houses poses significant risks.
"For some reason, it started causing all of this flooding in the grass, on our driveways, up to our house," she said.
Waldron said she's nervous that it will soon cause property damage.
"My biggest concern is the water is washing this way to our houses," she said.
She said it's also causing sidewalk issues.
"This hole was big enough you could stick your arm in it," she said. "But now, it's big enough you can put your body in it."
The responsibility for maintaining Hampton Street is divided between the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the City of Camden, with the section in front of Waldron's home falling under state ownership. However, neither agency has confirmed a direct link between the recent paving and the flooding issues.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation sent this statement:
"It appears that section of Hampton Street was recently paved by the City of Camden. SCDOT will continue to work alongside the city to maintain the area."
The City of Camden declined an interview, but City Manager Jonathan Rorie provided this statement:
"The city is aware of sidewalks in various locations throughout the city needing repairs. We are committed to repairing the sidewalks and have dedicated $100k from our Paving to address sidewalk safety issues throughout the city. The road was paved in the last year but is not related to the sidewalk repair."
As residents like Waldron continue to raise awareness about the issue, they hope for prompt attention and solutions from relevant authorities to alleviate their concerns and ensure the safety of their community.
"We need an engineer out here to figure this out," she said. "None of us are engineers."