An elderly Mandurah couple have been forced out of their home as heavy rainfall has led to flooding at the Beam Road property.
Max and Elaine Ward have owned the house since 2002 but only moved into it earlier this year after Mr Ward had a hip replacement.
The 79-year-old spent 20 weeks in hospital for the procedure – and said the latest setback was “very disappointing”.
“The only reason we came here is because the house is level – I can’t get up and down steps,” Mr Ward said.
“All out the back is flooded and it is coming in from the back laneway. Once it gets to the top of the bricks, it will flood right through the house.”
Mr and Mrs Ward have been forced to leave the Mandurah home as the Bureau of Meteorology predict more heavy rain.
The 1960s home is set lower than some of the neighbouring properties and many of the rooms were three-to-four inches deep in water when the Mandurah Mail visited on Wednesday morning.
With heavy rainfall lying on Beam Road, Mr Ward said he felt the City of Mandurah could do more to clear the water – and said he had contacted the council two months ago in relation to the issue.
“I rang the Shire to clean out the drains two months ago – that has not been done,” the former Shire of Wyalkatchem councillor said.
“From Ormsby Terrace, there is a parking area and there is no draining systems. On the south side of Stewart Street there aren’t any sinkholes. The water comes off Mandurah Terrace and down to this point.”
The Wards luckily have insurance to call upon but have been forced out of their home and will stay at a North Perth property until the damage is fixed.
Mrs Ward was despondent as she packed belongings into the couple’s car before leaving.
“It’s heartbreaking – I’m too old for this – it is just not fair,” she said.
Mandurah acting chief executive Graeme Davies said the City was doing everything they could to reduce the flooding through the use of additional pumps.
He said the City was actively looking at a long-term solution to the issue and the recruitment of a drainage engineer had been approved by council.