City responds to dire flooding problem in the Fan

RICHMOND, Va. In the heart of VCUs campus, construction isthe new normal, but many say heavy flooding has also been a familiar sight, for too long.

As evidenced last week when a fast-moving, heavy storm flooded the intersection of Grace and Harrison Streets, it was temporarily a mini-lake.

It was five feet over the curb, said Village Cafe bar manager Chris Brumfield.

I wondered if it was going to ruin the tiling in the restaurant if we were going to have to shut down for a while,said Ariel Schultz, who works at Panda Garden.

Businesses like the Village Cafe say they felt the brunt of the flooding, and last week wasnt the first time.

Everytime it rains, it floods from outside drains in through ours, said Ray Ralph, Bartender, Village Cafe.

From like the door, it started coming in a little bit from outside, but then it will also come in from out here and kind of dispense to a couple of booths down there, Ralph said. And then, downstairs started to get wet from coming out of the bathroom.

Ralph told CBS 6 that the problem stems from the citys overflowing sewer system.

The city came down and cleaned out the sewage not too long ago because we got complaints about it smelling bad, Ralph said.

According to Richmonds Department of Public Utilities, the city is well aware of the issue experienced by those businesses, and has been for some time.

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City responds to dire flooding problem in the Fan