CENTRAL, La. (WAFB) – City leaders in Central say rainfall from Tropical Storm Arthur shows the money used to prevent flooding may be paying off.<\/p>\n
The city has been working to improve drainage since the 2016 flood.<\/p>\n
Central may not have taken the brunt of Arthur, but heavy rain still caused high water in some neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesday afternoon when I was coming home from work, it was pouring down. I mean, I was driving under the speed limit \u2014 about 10 miles an hour \u2014 which is unusual for me because usually I\u2019m definitely driving the speed limit,\u201d said Brenda Haddox, a Central resident.<\/p>\n
Haddox has lived in Central for decades and witnessed the 2016 flood firsthand.<\/p>\n
She said her home was okay this time, but some neighbors were not so lucky.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lady who lives around the corner from our house. Her yard tends to get a lot of water. Now it did get very high on Tuesday to the point where it almost got into her house again \u2014 but she\u2019s had that happen several times,\u201d Haddox said.<\/p>\n
Drainage improvements<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like we dodged a bullet, if you will, with the storm taking the path it did,\u201d said Central Mayor Wade Evans.<\/p>\n
Evans said since the 2016 flood, the city has invested about $25 million into flood prevention, including more than three years of digging out roadside and off-road ditches to help move water faster.<\/p>\n
He said Central\u2019s geography makes drainage a constant challenge, with some parts of the city much higher than others, meaning water has a long way to travel.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reality is, water \u2014 it has to get to the bayou. The bayou has to get to the river. The river has to get to the lake, and then out to the Gulf. The problem is the northern part of Central is a 100-foot base above sea level, and the southernmost point is at 14,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n
Another concern is rising river levels, including the Amite and Comite rivers, which Evans said can slow drainage and push water back up into neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
He said city crews are still at work.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we\u2019re systematically going in and changing culverts that are bad, re-digging all the ditches, fixing everything neighborhood by neighborhood,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n
City leaders say residents who had high water or flood damage should report it to Central Public Works as soon as possible at 225-262-5000.<\/p>\n
With more rain possible this weekend, crews will be on call to clear debris and watch drainage areas that tend to flood first.<\/p>\n
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