News 12 @ 11 o'clock, April 14, 2009

EDGEFIELD COUNTY, S.C. ---People living near this stretch of Holmes Pond Road have been dealing with flooding and sinking near their homes for more than a month now.

"it's been a problem for a while now. I think they've ignored it for so long and that's what made it so bad,"said Lynn Toole who lives near the closed road.

The difference in what the sinkhole looked like a month ago, compared to now, is dramatic.

"It's rough. We have to detour all the way out to 191 to go to Johnston to the stores or to run the kids to school,"said Olga Saenz who lives near the closed road.

Olga Saenz says now that the road is closed, she has to fill up her SUV twice a week because of the new detour. But she says the sinking road is affecting more than just her neighbors.

"The buses have to come to half of the road to pick up kids, go back out; reroute to 191. Then come back to the other half, come back out and head to school. It's hard for everybody,"said Olga.

"It's been a nightmare as far as rearranging the schedules and using up all the gas and the mileage on the cars,"said Lynn.

Lynn Toole says she's also going miles out of her way just to make it home.

"I would say about 5 miles out of the way, either way you go. It adds up if you got to go twice a day,"said Lynn.

And while the problems with the water and the roads are making it hard for everyone to deal, these families just want the problems fixed.

"It would be nice to know an update on what's happening and how much longer we have to wait,"said Lynne.

"I just want them to hurry up because it's an inconvenience,"said Olga.