When heavy rain hits Myers Park, tenants at one south Charlotte condo say they are treated to a backyard water show nobody asked for. A manhole in the grass reportedly erupts like a geyser, blasting water across the lawn and into the neighboring parking lot. Residents describe surges strong enough to sink pavement, choke off doorways and shred parked vehicles, leaving behind torn-up asphalt, broken glass and rags. First-floor neighbors say they can be effectively trapped when rushing water piles up against their doors, and tenants say the problem has gone on long enough that they now want a concrete promise of a permanent fix. Each new storm has neighbors worrying about both safety and property damage.
Jennifer Jackson, who lives at the complex, told local reporters that the bursts have shot roughly six feet into the air and that the sidewalk outside her unit has sunk about half a foot. She says she has emails documenting complaints to county stormwater staff dating back to 2018 and that every round of flooding leaves debris scattered in the condo’s backyard and in the adjacent parking lot. According to Queen City News, the condo owner has met with storm water crews, and officials say they are investigating and plan to follow up.
City crews are investigating; here’s how to report
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services, the agency in charge of the public storm drainage system, urges residents to report problem spots so crews can inspect them and prioritize repairs. On the department’s report-a-concern page, staff list 311 and an online form as the quickest ways to get someone on site, and they outline how they decide whether an issue needs a small, localized repair or a larger capital project. For problems on or next to private property, the agency notes that engineering studies and legal easements are sometimes required before major reconstruction can move forward.
Not an isolated issue in Myers Park
The area has seen other recent water and pavement failures. In mid-June, a water-main break on Selwyn Avenue opened up a sinkhole and forced lane closures while crews repaired the pipe and repaved the street. Coverage from The Charlotte Observer noted that Charlotte Water worked overnight to fix the break, and nearby residents and businesses dealt with temporary outages and detours. Reporting by WCCB has underscored that aging underground infrastructure has become a recurring headache for neighbors and city crews alike.
Neighbors press for a permanent fix
Tenants at the condo say patch jobs will not cut it and are pushing both the property owner and the city for a written timeline and a long-term drainage upgrade. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services’ public projects page explains that larger drainage fixes often require engineering assessments, easements and phased construction, a process that can take time but is frequently needed to eliminate chronic flooding in residential areas. Neighbors say they want those steps clearly laid out, along with firmer accountability from property management and the municipal agency.
In the meantime, tenants say they clear debris and move cars to higher spots after every big shower, waiting on the follow-up city crews have promised. Officials did not give a firm repair schedule when the issue was reported, and neighbors say they are prepared to escalate their complaints if inspections and concrete fixes do not happen soon.
