Wico. Co. Department of Public Works holding community meetings on drainage issues

February 28, 2018

Justina Coronel,

Wicomico County residents, just like Yvonne Bissett, are tired of living with drainage issues and excessive flooding. "I'd like to see them really do something about it," Bissett says.

Because of that, Department of Public Works have now open the floodgates with their very first set of community meetings.

We're told these meetings are to educate community members, talk about the engineering options, and even go over about certain areas that they will need to study.

They'll focus on what areas have been hit the hardest. Back in the summer of 2016, pipes were damaged along Nanticoke Road and Snow Hill Road was completely washed out. August of 2017, Pratt Road completely flooded and engulfed knee deep in water.

"The ground having been saturated by the rain that came with the tornado didn't have the ability to absorb that rainfall and then just the sheer amount it overwhelmed our ditch networks. We will be looking at capacity calculations. Seeing if there a ditch that we can make bigger or a pipe that we can make bigger just to try to limit this again," Assistant Director of Administration, Weston Young, tells us.

Right now, it's the calm before the storm. Department of Public Works hoping to be proactive before the summer months come rolling through.

Dallas Baker, Director of Public Works says, "We're also reaching out to the public to find out locations that they might have experienced and try to get an idea where some of our hot spots are at. We're also educating them about ways to help reduce and mitigate flooding impacts in their areas and private property."

There will be four meetings at 6 PM starting this march: