It’s a half-mile path that leads Yolanda Marez to and from her home located off FM 338 just outside San Benito.
Her family has lived there for more than 15 years, and loves the peace and quiet, and being able to raise their farm animals.
However, after several days of rain, things tend to get messy, making going to work a challenge.
"It's been getting too hard to get through," Marez said. “My daughter doesn't have 4 by 4 so we have to plan either going out early, or I just leave with her,” Marez said. “I’ll get to work earlier than her, and I’ll just wait until I have to clock in there.”
Cameron County Irrigation District 2 General Manager Sonia Lambert tells Action 4 News that although it happens rarely, they granted the Marez family easement along one of their irrigation canals, about five years ago since the family was landlocked.
Marez said, when it rains, the family preserves that pathway as much as possible and takes an alternate route, on the other side of the irrigation canal. However, Marez said things are getting too difficult and they want the county to help find a solution.
"If anybody can help us out with caliche on the road or anything please feel free to call us or call (Action 4 News), because I’ve tried asking them to pay half and we'll pay the other half or help us with caliche in payments, something just to help us out" Marez said.
Besides restricting the family's outings during rainy conditions, Marez said she’s also worried about the problems the easement could create if there were ever an emergency when it's muddy. She recalls when a helicopter had to fly into the area to evacuate a neighbor having a heart attack because an ambulance could not get in.
"When you go late to work they don’t accept it – you’re scheduled, you have to go in,” Marez said. “During medical emergencies, there's no way anyone's going to be able to get out here."
The messy conditions have also taken a toll on the family financially, Marez said. Most have switched to 4 by 4 vehicles which require more gas and frequent tire changes.
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