By By Mary-Allison Lancaster managing editor
Flooding has become bothersome for two particular streets in the city of East Brewton. City officials are looking to the state to help alleviate flooding on Forrest Avenue.
Solutions for alleviating flooding for the street beside the Farm Center are currently being negotiated between the city and the state.
Since the street beside the Farm Center on Forrest Avenue in East Brewton is a state right-of-way, the city of East Brewton cannot take action until state officials present a solution. Currently, city officials are speaking with state officials who are working on cost estimates and ways to alleviate the flooding.
On Shoffner Street, resident Susan Howard is having the biggest flooding problem due to inadequate drainage, Dunaway said. While city officials are not sure how they will resolve the issue, they are hoping to have some solutions in a matter of weeks.
In order to alleviate the flooding on Shoffner Street, Dunaway said he was looking to "rebuild the curbing and open some previous drainage" so the water will be diverted and not cause the heavy flooding it has in the past.
Mayor Terry Clark suggested working on the drain in front of the house, filling it with topsoil and raisiing the driveway up.
Howard, who lives on 706 Shoffner Street, said she would rather the city move her driveway down farther from the house to eliminate drainage coming down the driveway and under her house.
Since the issue was presented to Council members at Monday night's meeting, Dunaway didn't have a cost estimate ready as of press time.
The two problem-streets addressed during the council meeting are currently the main problem areas in East Brewton; there has been nothing unusual with drainage patterns this year.
The average annual rainfall for the cities of Brewton and East Brewton is 69 inches. According to Alabama Agricultural Statistics, the cities have received 22 inches of rain in the first three months of the year.