'Can't handle this volume of water': LaSalle residents struggle through flooding

Homeowner Samueline McManus says 2019 was the first year since she purchased her homethat she needed to sandbag her property and she's owned her home for 26 years.

McManus, a resident of LaSalle, said spring water levels around her home increased in April, as they usually do.

"Last year, mid-April, my lower level got flooded out. The water table was just so high," said McManus. "That whole issue lasted maybe three to four weeks."

This year, McManus said ithas been "nonstop."

"The canal out front is the level of the Detroit River and it nicely backs up and rolls up the driveway and meets the wetlands from behind," said McManus.

When McManus first moved in 26 years ago it wasn't this bad. Now, almost every evening her driveway is flooded as the wind shifts.

"This is unbelievable," said McManus. "When I heard that sandbags were available but you had to fill them up yourself ... I don't think I'm quite up to that."

Thanks to help from LaSalle town Coun. Sue Desjarlais, McManus was able to place sandbags against the north wall of her family room in an attempt to prevent more flooding.

McManus said she'll need several hundred more sandbags to fashion some kind of barrier to protect her backyard.

"That will hold the water back to some degree, but I have three sump pumps two in a crawl space and a third outside and they were just completely overwhelmed," said McManus."They can't handle this volume of water."

According to Desjarlais, McManus's circumstances are extreme, but they're only slightly worse than those of other LaSalle residents living near the water.

"I think people are going in and getting sandbags 50 or 100 at a time," said Desjarlais, who added the LaSalle has consumed several piles of sand to provide residents with approximately 2,000 sandbags overall.

Sandbags are available to LaSalle residents between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the town's public works department. Sand piles and shovels are available at public works, as well as Centennial Arena.

Desjarlais added that senior residents are welcome to call her for help.