Baldwin County, Alabama, to fix Drainage & Storm Water Runoff Problems
Baldwin County, Alabama communities impacted by flooding over the years are expected to receive relief, according to officials who are spending millions to fix drainage and storm water runoff problems.
Baldwin County’s rainfall this year has caused flooding that damaged homes and made roadways unusable and unsafe, reported WPMI NBC 15 News.
"The amount of rainfall we received this year is historic. Everything's saturated,” said Joey Nunnally, Baldwin County Engineer, reported WPMI NBC 15 News. “The groundwater table is high so you're starting to see standing water where you typically didn't.”
According to Nunnally, county leaders met in 2020 to come up with a long-term plan to address recurring drainage and storm water runoff. Nunnally has overseen the creation of a $1.7 million, 11-acre retention pond near Barin Field in Foley as well as the ongoing construction of a 6-acre pond on Boros Road in Elberta.
The county is also looking towards a grant to create storage on the Magnolia River, just upstream of Magnolia Springs, which would take some houses out of the flood prone zone.
Local homeowners cite the worsening problem as a consequence of the county's rapid growth and development, reported WPMI NBC 15 News.
According to Nunnally, the county has strict requirements for subdivision developers, including the ability to handle a 100-year storm event.
"They calculate what the runoff is before development, what it's going to be after development, and that difference is supposed to be retained in their retention ponds," Nunnally said. "It's supposed to be released at the same or slower rate than what it was prior. We're trying to do everything we can to try and control this runoff."
Nunnally said the county is also funding a $200,000 study to identify other areas in need of drainage fixes. He expects that will be complete by 2022, reported WPMI NBC 15 News.
