INDIANAPOLIS -- A southwest side resident who’s spent much of the year trying to save his house from washing away says conditions have improved after RTV6 involved.
Kenneth Warden, 75, has spent hundreds of hours fighting to save his home before it falls into a creek. His fight began in April, when a rain storm swept away much of his backyard. Warden says quotes to fix the issue have run above $100,000.
RTV6 has been out to Warden’s property four times to bring attention to the issue. After the storm, Warden walked the bank of the creek and found blockages. RTV6 brought those blockages to the attention of the city, which issued notices to property owners – resulting in some of the blockages being cleared.
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Last week, when heavy rains hit Indianapolis, Warden says the creek didn’t get as high.
“I appreciate Channel 6 working with us to try to get some of that cleared out,” Warden said.
Warden says he has spent the last two weeks back in the creek moving rocks with an innertube and floating them down near his property to prevent more erosion.
Warden has no choice. RTV6 contacted Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office, the Department of Natural Resources, Citizens Energy and the Department of Public Works and received the same answer he did: no help was coming. Each agency said it was Warden’s responsibility to repair the eroded creek bed, even though the creek in question is the Indiana State Ditch.
Warden says his insurance policy doesn’t cover erosion, and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management can only get involved if emergency permits are needed.
For now, Warden says he will keep working to make sure his house stays dry – and where it’s supposed to be.
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