Tropical Storm Arthur’s downpour of heavy rain led to high water levels in the Vintage Canal, sparking concerns among residents and prompting city officials to investigate the drainage system.
“The water is not normally as high as it has been lately, so I don’t know if they just didn’t drain the canals enough,” Jamie Whipple, a Kenner resident, said.
In her 37 years of living there, Whipple said the water levels near her home were higher than she had seen before.
“Even with, you know, flooding in ’95, I didn’t get any water. It didn’t seem to be as high,” Whipple said.
Although the water has since receded, Whipple said the water levels left her worried about flooding damage to her home.
In response to residents’ concerns, Jefferson Parish City Councilmember Arita Bohannan said the city’s drainage department is investigating the canals.
“Sometimes the citizen sees things before we do, and it gives us an opportunity to react,” Bohannan said.
City officials confirmed that all pumps were operational during the storm but said the city needs additional pumps to handle the heavy amounts of water.
“We need help building and adding some additional pumps. And so it sounds simple, like we just build more. But those things and these projects take years and years even after you have the funding.” Bohannan said.
In Kenner alone, Bohannan said the city needs about $100 million in funding for additional pumps, and that money needs to also come from the state.
“Everything takes a long time. And patience is something that you are hard to come by when your house is flooding,” Bohannan said. “But the truth of the matter is, we need money, and we need a little time to build them.”
Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser sent WDSU a statement in response to the drainage concerns.
“Our essential teams at the City of Kenner were activated and prepared. Unfortunately, even with our drainage systems working properly as designed, our streets will take on water with rainfall coming at such a high rate in such a short time. I am extremely grateful for our first responders and essential city employees for their hard work before, during and after this event. The biggest takeaway as we enter the recovery phase is that we must all collaborate to find funding for more drainage capacity,” the statement said.
For more information on the Jefferson Parish drainage system, click here.
READ MORE: Kenner residents raise concerns over drainage system after heavy rain
