Second day of flooding for Rockwall neighborhood

Residents in a Rockwall neighborhood spent a second day dealing with flooding after a week’s worth of heavy rains sent lake water toward their homes.

Homeowners said the flooding, that started on Thursday after Lake Rockwall spilled out of its banks, is the worst many here have ever seen.

“Here since 1977, I've never seen it like this, never,” said resident Carolyne Hill. “They know it floods, but they haven't done anything to correct the problem, and is a problem or it wouldn't be doing this.”

Water still surrounded about a half dozen homes as of Friday afternoon, but the water was starting to go down. 

The Rockwall assistant city manager says the homes in Lake Rockwall Estates were built before the area was annexed into the city and the city had no authority to enforce building codes.  All of the homes that flooded are within the 100-year flood plain of the city.

The city said opening up a spillway to spare the homes in the neighborhood would have caused rainbow lake to flood, which is located downstream.

There are homes near rainbow lake as well, but they are built at a higher elevation. There is also a nursing home nearby.

Back by Lake Rockwall, one homeowner was reconsidering where she lives after she watched water get so close to her home.

 “I've lived here 15 years so it's hard to move to another place, but I'm thinking about it,” said resident Elia Delgado.

The city continues to work to assist residents however it can. Residents said they've been given hotel vouchers for a week.