After the backyard of a Sherman Oaks home was flooded Tuesday amid the record-breaking winter storm, the homeowners blamed LA city officials for not doing enough to prevent the "disaster."
Chris and Soheila Sturm, who lived in the house near Sepulveda Boulevard for more than 15 years, said since the heavy rainfalls began Sunday, their backyard was filled with 3 feet of water, destroying backyard appliances and furniture as well as killing some 15 koi fishes in the pond.
"This is a diaster we can prevent," Soheila Sturm said while standing in the backyard, which was supposed to be an oasis for her and her husband. "It shouldn't go this far."
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The homeowners said this was the second time their backyard got flooded in the last two years. Despite reaching out to the City of LA numerous times, they said they had not heard back.
"It'd be great if [city officials] can come and figure out a solution for it," Soheila Sturm said.
While the Sturms understood the City of LA had no control over rain, they claimed the city was not maintaining the drainage basement underneath their property as well as at least five others in the neighborhood.
It took 48 hours to pump out the massive amount of water trapped in the backyard, according to the Strums.
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In response, city officials said there had not been any issues with the drainage system, and they were not aware of the problem the Sturms and their neighbors were facing. LA officials also urged residents to call 311 in there's any issue with storm drains in their areas.
"As soon as we learned of the situation, multiple crews were sent to investigate the reported flooding and the General Manager of the Sanitation Department also went out to personally assess the reported flooding," the Los Angeles Department of Public Works said in a statement. "Through our investigation, the City learned of the possibility that the natural spring that runs behind the properties might be obstructed since the spring should naturally flow. This would contribute to the flooding along with the historic level of rainfall Los Angeles experienced.
"The City is looking into this further and will be returning to the area to further investigate. As the natural spring is behind private properties, the City must rely on property owners to report flooding and other issues. Now and in the future, Angelenos are encouraged to call 3-1-1 to report flooding, downed trees and other concerns in your neighborhoods."
