LCG addresses drainage concerns after flash flooding in Lafayette
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) - Flash flooding this week led to many road closures and water rescues in Lafayette. Flooding on streets like Ambassador Caffrey left many people stranded and unable to get to work Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the Lafayette Fire Department responded to more than 20 water rescue calls.
This led some to question whether the drainage systems in Lafayette were doing their job. "I'm not sure what the problem is, if it's the drainage system, but we definitely need some work," Lafayette resident Kathy Handy said.
LCG Interim Director of Public Works Warren Abadie says the drainage systems did what they're intended to do, and they were not the problem.
"We had many cars that were flooded, many cars that were stalled. The transportation system was hampered by just the amount of water on the roadway," Abadie said. "Once the rainfall rate settled down, the drainage system was able to work."
LCG says while there was substantial water on streets, that also meant this water wasn't in homes. With five to seven inches of rain hitting Lafayette in just a few hours, Abadie says the rainfall rate was in excess of what the inlet capacity was designed for.
"The drainage system is built to a capacity and obviously if that capacity is exceeded, roadway flooding is going to happen. But we put a monumental amount of effort in making sure coulees are clean, making sure the river is allowed to function. The river does flow backward into the swamp, and the inlets are cleaned. We do the best we can to keep the drains as clean and flowing as possible," Abadie added.