Man pleads for help after frequent apartment floodings

SOMERVILLE, Tenn. — We’ve seen heavy rain throughout the Mid-South this week but one Somerville man said flooding has gotten so bad at his apartment complex that he’s struggling to get into his unit.

Tommie Parham, 71, said the issue has been ongoing for years despite his repeated calls for help.

“Ever since 1996 the same problems we got now, we’ve been having all the time,” Parham said. “This water problem, they won’t fix it or do anything to help people around here.”

Tommie Parham told WREG his home at Foxtail Grove Apartments becomes a flood zone every time it rains.

Water engulfs the parking lot and reaches his doorstep, which he said brings unwanted insects inside.

Parham, a former plumber, has diagnosed the issue and offered solutions but he said management refuses to take action.

“All they got to do is put a drain right there,” Parham said. “Run it up to the corner and put a ‘L’ on it and run three pipes down the hill – three 20-foot PVC pipes and a tennis drain will take care of this and they won’t do it. All they say is, ‘They’re aware of it.’ We know they’re aware of it. I’ve been here since 1996.”

Parham said the flooding is so bad that he can’t use the handicap assistance devices in his home, which makes every day a challenge.

“This is my handicap emergency cord,” Parham said. “When I pull this cord, my light on the outside is supposed to blink which it doesn’t.”

Despite his efforts to contact Somerville’s Public Works Department , the issue remains unfixed.

On their website, Public Works issued the following statement:

The Town of Somerville is working to repair drainage issues throughout the Town. This is a very lengthy process and will take time for us to complete.”

Somerville’s Public Works Department

Parham said with the landlord being unresponsive, he and others feel abandoned.

“My feeling is that the landlord is doing stuff to save the company money by not doing anything for us,” Parham said. “I can’t get anything done around here.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.