TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2015
FLORENCE, N.J. (WPVI)
Land in Burlington County is slipping away before a
homeowner's eyes, and right into the nearby Delaware River.
In the 400 block of E. Front Street in Florence, which
overlooks the Delaware River, Chris and Lynne O'Dell have watched as over the
last two years their yard has been eaten away.
Huge chunks of earth have given way and fallen down the cliff, creating a steep ravine and coming dangerously close to the Odell's home and their next-door neighbors.
Lynne tells us, "We lost, all of this is gone at this point in time. We also had a fence that separated. We've also watched the pieces go down. We've watched the birdhouses go down."
The situation became critical on Monday when torrential rains made things worse.
Municipal workers discovered that an abandoned storm drain and pipe installed by Burlington County years ago, that runs underground near the O'Dell's backyard, was leaking.
The flowing water further accelerated the erosion problem and created what the Florence Township administrator described as an emergency situation.
Chris O'Dell says, "It was literally pouring out of here like a fire hose. The water rushing down, it was a river cutting right through here. We have no idea how long that's been opened or at what point the plug they put in there failed."
The pipe was patched and geotechnical engineers are due to arrive on Wednesday to assess the situation.
But the Odell's fear they are just a few feet away from being forced to evacuate their home because it's too dangerous to stay.
Lynne says, "It's almost a relief that you find there is actually a reason for this and it's not just Mother Nature, like everyone would like us to believe."
The O'Dells say that the Burlington County insurance carrier denied a claim they tried to make. They were told the erosion problem is not the county's fault. That may change or be revisited after the leaky pipe was exposed yesterday.
The county says it's aware of the situation and is working with local officials to find a cause and a remedy.
The O'Dells are waiting for what the engineers have to say because they may be forced to pack up and move out if the issue can't be fixed while they're still in their house.
Huge chunks of earth have given way and fallen down the cliff, creating a steep ravine and coming dangerously close to the Odell's home and their next-door neighbors.
Lynne tells us, "We lost, all of this is gone at this point in time. We also had a fence that separated. We've also watched the pieces go down. We've watched the birdhouses go down."
The situation became critical on Monday when torrential rains made things worse.
Municipal workers discovered that an abandoned storm drain and pipe installed by Burlington County years ago, that runs underground near the O'Dell's backyard, was leaking.
The flowing water further accelerated the erosion problem and created what the Florence Township administrator described as an emergency situation.
Chris O'Dell says, "It was literally pouring out of here like a fire hose. The water rushing down, it was a river cutting right through here. We have no idea how long that's been opened or at what point the plug they put in there failed."
The pipe was patched and geotechnical engineers are due to arrive on Wednesday to assess the situation.
But the Odell's fear they are just a few feet away from being forced to evacuate their home because it's too dangerous to stay.
Lynne says, "It's almost a relief that you find there is actually a reason for this and it's not just Mother Nature, like everyone would like us to believe."
The O'Dells say that the Burlington County insurance carrier denied a claim they tried to make. They were told the erosion problem is not the county's fault. That may change or be revisited after the leaky pipe was exposed yesterday.
The county says it's aware of the situation and is working with local officials to find a cause and a remedy.
The O'Dells are waiting for what the engineers have to say because they may be forced to pack up and move out if the issue can't be fixed while they're still in their house.