Chesterfield Township community beset with flooding as water rises

Image 1 of 5

Sandbagging has become a part of life for people living along a canal in Chesterfield Township.

"So were currently are running six pumps, we've got 1,500 sandbags laid down around our property," said Paul Belbot.

For the Belbots on Wand drive this all started in early May.

"And it's not just the rain that's the crazy part," he said. "The past couple days have been 80 degrees and sunny and the water level has gone up. The wind direction is huge. When the wind is blowing in from the east, at least for us, it raises the water level sometimes, six inches."

And Sunday night into Monday morning, Belbot encountered another snag.

"The power shut off, so the left side of our house right now has no power," Belbot said. "Inside the floor vents, there's actually water.

"The wind just changed directions again and you can see the water starting to fill the house again."

The two vacant lots next door have become home to a family of ducks. And while the house hasn't flooded yet, water has gotten in through the vents and now Paul and his wife Alex, are worried about mold and mildew - so they're leaving to stay with family.

"I knew it was a possibility," Alex said. "I didn't think it would actually happen to the point where we are literally inside loading everything up."