Flooding in Union County continues, but who is supposed to fix it?

UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Flooded roads have caused some troubles for Union County homeowners. The question was simple: Whose job was this to fix? 

NCDOT said it’s not their jurisdiction, but Union County pointed its fingers back at NCDOT.

When it rains along Fletcher Broome Road in Union County, neighbors said the area becomes unsafe. 

“If a car is traveling, the water just showers on either side,” resident Jerrie Taylor said.

Taylor said it’s predictable when it rains and it looks the same. She moved to the area 25 years ago and said it’s common to see water fly into the air after drivers hit the brakes. 

She’s fearful that one wrong move could cost someone their life.

“It’s going to hydroplane,” Taylor said.

After WCNC Charlotte’s original reporting in January, Taylor and her neighbors thought they were getting help. 

“They did come and scoop out the ditch, they took off the excess ditch and debris out of the ditch,” Taylor said.

But it’s still a mystery as to who did the digging. WCNC Charlotte checked with Union County. The county said the road is state maintained and it’s up to NCDOT to fix the issue. 

WCNC Charlotte reached out to NCDOT to see if the department is responsible for the fix. The department said no. 

Taylor said the county told her there could be a solution to at least help the problem — Taylor could replace the current pipe with a larger one — but the fix could be costly. 

“But we’d have to pay for it,” Taylor said. “It’s about $1,000.”