Residents in a Brownsville neighborhood are raising concerns that a nearby construction project is causing flooding on their street.

Jose Alfredo Paz, 62, said rain on Friday made it hard to get home.

"We couldn't get in, so we had to leave the cars parked there in the park and walk through the water," Paz said.

Paz has lived on Viking Lane near Oliveira Park for more than 25 years. He said he has never seen flooding like he did Friday.

The pooling water has him questioning what changed in the area.

"The flooding was too severe, and I think the city should have done something about it," Paz said.

Paz believes a nearby construction project is to blame.

"If it rains, we're going to get flooded again," Paz said.

That construction started about five months ago. According to Brownsville City Engineer Carlos Lastra, a private developer is installing 42-inch drainage pipes to develop lots for future homes.

"It was just a ditch that was there, and so he approached the city about the possibility of piping in that ditch, covering that ditch up with a pipe. Not covering it in terms of blocking it, but putting in a pipe underground," Lastra said.

Lastra explained the new pipes are designed to move water more efficiently than the open ditch they are replacing.

"They're going to be the pipes that actually convey water a lot faster than they would if it was just an open ditch. So that improves the flow," Lastra said.

Channel 5 News showed Lastra videos and photos from Friday's storm that showed water pooling instead of flowing.

"The construction had a temporary dam so they could work and seal the pipes, but the water overflowed over that,” Lastra said. “Like I said, it was just a tremendous amount of water in such a short period of time on Friday.”

Lastra said similar street flooding was reported throughout Brownsville that day. City inspectors visit the site regularly to make sure the pipes are installed correctly.

"Eventually we get funding available; we would like to pipe in the rest of the ditch. Right now we don't have it in our budget," Lastra said.

The city is encouraging residents to keep drainage inlets clear of debris and report illegal dumping to help reduce street flooding.

Watch the video above for the full story.