Working for You: Where was the flood warning for Niles Parkview tenants?

NILES, Mich. - ABC 57 is working for you to find out why neighbors living in the Parkview Apartments didn't receive a warning about the flood threat. Now, some are left without a ride after their cars were totaled by the floodwaters.

Disclaimer: we won't be sharing some faces or names of some of the neighbors in an effort to protect them from retaliation.

“When I woke up in the morning and looked out my van was in the water. I couldn’t believe it," said one Parkview neighbor.

The record flooding drowned these cars at Parkview Apartments, which is low-income housing, on Thursday, February 22.

“My car is totaled, so it is no more, and I just had collision coverage on it, so the insurance isn’t covering anything," said another neighbor.

Neighbors who live here say they were never told to move them.

“There was no warning at all from anybody," said tenant Dorothea Brown, who's lived in Parkview Apartments for about two years.

She says the city of Niles sent out a text the Tuesday prior saying in part, "River is expected to crest at 15.9 feet...If your area is prone to flooding, please take precautions...AVOID Riverfront Park."

Although the park is across the street, she says she didn't realize that meant her complex was in danger of catastrophe.

Besides a text, though, Niles city officials confirmed in a press conference the very day the complex flooded that they met with the manager of Parkview to warn her.

“In that afternoon, previous to the event, I personally met with the property manager and advised her that this was going to be a catastrophic event and that she should notify her residents," said Niles fire chief, Larry Lamb, on February 22.

ABC 57's Jess Arnold asked the property manager Monday if anyone from the city of Niles alerted her and she flat out said, "no."

The city administrator said they had another official warn Parkview and called the company headquarters, Herman and Kittle Properties.

We called the company to ask and haven't heard back.

“I was more upset when I found out they knew, was told and didn’t tell us, because anything ever happens out here, they put a note and tape it to your door, everybody’s door. I don’t understand why they couldn’t have done that," said one neighbor.

“They were able to come shortly after the water had receded out of the parking lot and put notices on people’s doors asking everyone to get their cars that had been destroyed towed away or they would have them towed at our expense," said another neighbor.

“It’s their property. It’s their jobs. I don’t know where the ball dropped, but it dropped somewhere, and it affected people," said a neighbor.

“If I would have been informed and knew about this, I would have definitely got my van out. Now, I have no transportation. I don’t have the funds to get another automobile," said a neighbor who lost her car.

“I get that sometimes people make mistakes, and that happens. Unfortunately this mistake is going to cost a lot of people a lot of money," said a neighbor.

Follow ABC 57 for updates on these neighbors' situation.