HOUSTON – There are many Westside homeowners who contend too much flooding in their area is man-made.
They're planning to take the city to court to try to change that.
When the rains came last month, 75-year-old Anna Olexy was stranded in her her house by high water for three days.
She lives in the Briargrove Park subdivision which was designed in the 1960s to drain into Buffalo Bayou.
Over the years, while her sewer and tax bills have gone up, she says the flooding has gotten worse.
"Water comes out of here and goes out on the street." Olexy said. "I don't mind paying if I feel like we're being taken care of, but I really feel like we're not."
Other homeowners in the area agree. Now they're planning to sue City Hall.
"We're just very lucky more people haven't died, more property hasn't been lost." Cynthia Neely, Citizens Against Flooding, said. "We're not doing everything in our power, our city is not protecting us."
The non-profit group, Residents Against Flooding, was formed in 2009 after high water inundated subdivisions along Buffalo Bayou, killing one and causing millions in damage.
The group says more homes and business have been built along the bayou, but the city has failed to bring in developers, enforce flood ordinances or provide proper detention.
An example: They say the city promised four flood-detention reservoirs for the area in 2003, but to date, only one has been built.
Chairman of Residents Against Flooding Ed Browne says the city government has done little to mitigate floodwater.
"We're not putting detention in, we're not compensating for the amount of concrete we're putting on the ground, we're elevating our properties and that displaces water into neighborhoods and peoples' homes," Browne said. "We can only see a future that is catastrophic."
Browne says the group has urged the city to action for seven years without getting results, so now they're headed to federal court.
The group expects to file their lawsuit next month.