WHITE OAK, Ohio — A White Oak couple said they believe a new Wawa construction site is turning their backyard and basement into a river after the Tri-State was hit with two cycles of heavy rain.
Kyndall Fair and her husband Jeremy have lived in their home for two years and said they have never seen flooding this bad before. Their house sits directly behind a new Wawa development at Blue Rock Road and Cheviot Road. Since Saturday, the couple has worked to clear from five to nine inches of water from their basement.
Water rose nearly above their washer and dryer.
"We noticed that it was coming through the door and within two minutes the whole thing was under water," Kyndall said.
The flooding has already cost the couple more than $800. A new water heater, installed after the first storm ruined the original, was damaged in Tuesday's storm.
"Of course, the new water heater that we put in on Sunday had water. You can actually feel inside, but there's water in it," Jeremy said.
Kyndall, who is due to give birth in less than two weeks, said the repeated flooding has raised concerns about whether the home will be safe for her newborn.
"Well, this has happened twice now, 10 days, and I'm due with a baby in less than two weeks. And now I don't even know if it's safe enough to bring him home with the possibility of mold and everything growing," Kyndall said.
She reached out to Hamilton County Soil and Water for help. She said a representative took a week to get back to her and found nothing out of order at the Wawa site. The representative now wants to assess her property.
"He's supposed to come tomorrow and assess our back yard to see if there's anything; I guess he can prove it's coming from Wawa," Kyndall said. "So now it's like a money pit."
WATCH: White Oak couple blames Wawa construction for flooding
Just down the street on Lapland Drive, neighbor Terry Hughes is also working through cleanup.
"All this is wet, the couch, the whole carpet, all back here. It was prob five to six (inches)," Hughes said. "It was like a baby pool down here."
With help from her neighbors, Hughes was able to get her sump pump working, but said there is still a significant amount of water to clear.
"First time and I pray that it's the last," Hughes said.
