SPARKS, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Days of heavy rain have left some Borderland residents facing more than flooded roads and yards, with homeowners in Sparks saying fast-moving water is washing away the ground around their properties.<\/p>\n
Residents who live off Grand River Drive said the arroyo behind their homes turned into a \u201craging river\u201d after this past week\u2019s rain, and they are now watching erosion creep closer to their houses.<\/p>\n
\u201cI woke up in the middle of the night,\u201d said Veronica Magallnes, a Grand River Drive resident. \u201cI could hear the water gushing. It sounded like a river going through the back of our house.\u201d<\/p>\n
Magallnes said her family has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years, but after the recent rain she has seen the arroyo erode closer to her home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house is going to fall over. The wall is going to fall. The foundation has already shifted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
RECOMMENDED: Weather Warn Issued Monday Through Wednesday for Heavy Rain & Flooding<\/a><\/p>\n Walking through her yard, Magallnes pointed to areas where she said the ground has already been washed away, leaving little between the flowing water and nearby homes.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no dirt. There\u2019s no cement. It\u2019s all the dirt getting washed away,\u201d Magallnes said. \u201cThe water\u2019s been washing it away with all these heavy rains.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the erosion could also threaten nearby infrastructure, including light poles along the arroyo, next to her home. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to take this light post. It\u2019s going to take that light post. And then the one next to it,\u201d Magallnes said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s four light poles that if this wall drops, everything is going to be pulled along the wall.\u201d<\/p>\n Magallnes said the edge of the erosion is only feet from bedrooms where she and her mother sleep. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is my room right here. And then I have my mom\u2019s room that\u2019s right next door to mine. She\u2019s elderly. She\u2019s disabled,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She said many families in the community have lived there for decades, and moving is not an easy option. <\/p>\n \u201cWho wants to leave their own home? And especially if you don\u2019t have anywhere else to go,\u201d Magallnes said. <\/p>\n \u201cOur families, our elders were the ones that bought these properties. They built these homes with what and how they could.\u201d<\/p>\n Magallnes said she wants a more permanent fix to prevent further erosion, including cement through the ditch. <\/p>\n RECOMMENDED: <\/a>El Paso activates Emergency Operations Center at Level 3 amid storm threat<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt would be great if they fixed the ditch, maybe put the cement all the way down through it like all the other ditches,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She also said she feels the community has been overlooked, particularly when compared with a nearby development.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just very sad to see that the community\u2019s tax dollars aren\u2019t being used properly. And you see this new development that\u2019s been less than five years [old],\u201d Magallnes said. \u201cThey\u2019re half $1 million homes and everything\u2019s being invested into that community and in our community in over 20 years, we can\u2019t even get a ditch with cement.\u201d<\/p>\n KFOX14\/CBS4 asked El Paso County officials whether there are plans to mitigate flooding in the area or take preventative measures for homes along the arroyo. <\/p>\n In a statement, El Paso County said, “The arroyo is a low water crossing and is working as it is intended to. The County is currently working on the reshaping of the arroyo in preparation of heavy rains.”<\/p>\n