MIDLAND COUNTY, Texas — The neighborhoods near Mission Dorado in west Midland County are under water.
Additionally, homes near Faudree Road and West County Road 122 have the most damage.
County leaders tell us rainwater would typically drain to the field behind Cinergy off of Highway 191, but that area has been developed. Now all of that water is draining into neighborhoods.
To make matters worse, this is not just flood water. It is sewer water, after the county says the septic system overflowed.
“The water is just flowing down the street, into the house, everywhere,” homeowner Amanda Apoliner said.
Apoliner, like many, does not have flood insurance.
“We are not exactly in the flood zone,” Apoliner said. “There’s a flood zone down there, but we were not, so we were told not to get it.”
Many of the flooded homes have electricity but don’t have running water.
“We’re going to have to go to a hotel because we can’t stay here,” homeowner Carlos Castillo said. “You can smell the water is dirty.”
Castillo is not the only person in the area who is noticing dirty water.
“The water coming in actually popped off the lid on our septic tank, so now our septic tank is flowing,” homeowner Rachel Millier said.
Midland County tells NewsWest 9 they are working to stop the water from flowing into the neighborhoods, but haven’t determined where exactly the water is coming from.
“The only explanation we were given was with all the construction on 191, all the new building, apparently that has caused the water to flow this way,” Apoliner said. “So they’re going to have to do something.”
In the meantime, homeowners here say the Red Cross has been in the area and is going to help people with any basics they need, such as food, water and shelter.
Another concern of residents is water and electricity combining and shocking them.
Shortly after the interview with Carlos, he was shocked by water running down his walls when he touched it.
This just goes to show, the sewer water makes this not only a dirty situation but a potentially harmful one.