QUITMAN, Ga. (WALB) - The heavy rain in South Georgia this week is taking its toll in counties with a history of infrastructure problems. In Brooks County, a decade-long problem of water damage to homes and property resurfaced.

Quitman residents are happy to see the water from this ditch finally drying up after it caused even more damage to their homes.

“I have a concrete piece on the gazebo and the water shouldn’t be going up there because it’s moving south,” Gary Christian, a Quitman resident, said.

Christian shared a video with WALB from Wednesday’s flooding, showing water running through his entire yard like a river.

According to him, when he moved back to his family’s property in 2015 the city had dug a ditch to help with draining in other parts of the city and overtime it began causing issues.

There is a pending lawsuit about what he claims is “inaction” from the city during past flooding events.

“It’s getting worse and worse because what happening is the holes that it’s causing in front, they are getting bigger and holding more water here,” Christian said.

But Christian isn’t the only one experiencing these issues. Another neighbor told WALB that the ditch was damaging his home.

“It goes from Mr. Gary’s house to my house in my front yard...goes up under my house up to the front porch into my house. Back here was nothing but a river,” Calvin Davis, a Quitman resident, said.

Recently, the city of Quitman added a sewage plant next door to the ditch, which neighbors tell WALB causes a bad odor, and sometimes waste material in rainwater.

“Once that waste material comes up to my yard it containments my whole house,” Solomon Blankumsee, a Quitman resident, said. “I buy stuff to keep the odor down but I’m just suffering. Something needs to be done.”

“The whole place has just sunk in. It’s bad back here now, it’s real bad. It’s a health problem, a real bad health problem,” Davis said.

WALB was able to speak with the City Clerk who said if the city of Quitman chooses to release a statement they will contact WALB.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2024 WALB. All rights reserved.