Tuscaloosa Flooding

Tuscaloosa has always had a huge problem with flooding. Due to high amounts of precipitation over the last few weeks this problem has become quite more noticeable. Anytime Tuscaloosa gets a large amount of participation the entire town looks like it is about to go underwater. Flooding takes a huge toll on the city of Tuscaloosa and also the state of Alabama. Starting in early September tropical storms have been pushing horrible storms across Alabama state lines. The amount of rainfall sets creeks and streams higher throughout the whole city. The flooding has gotten so bad in some areas that it has caused thousands of dollars in damage. For instance, here in west Alabama flooding has been washing out roads, destroying vehicles, and forcing people out of their homes. This flooding had not only caused damage to many homes, cars and buildings, but also affects the lives of teachers, students, and motorists. While the amount of rainfall cannot be controlled, there are many measures the state and local government can put into place that could ease the amount of rainwater that builds up in our streets.

Driving around on rainy days can be scary. The roads all around Tuscaloosa build up massive puddles of water due to the nonexistent drainage systems in the streets. Some intersections around town can get so flooded that cars simply cannot pass without running the risk breaking down. Intersections like 12th and 8th avenue, behind Tutwiler dormitory, flood so bad that water even starts to creep into nearby houses and basements causing a multitude of damages. The water buildup is also a huge safety risk because of drivers are more likely to hydroplane and lose control. This could not only hurt or kill the driver but also injure any motorist unlucky enough to be caught in the path. The solution to this problem is simple. Tuscaloosa must implement a better street draining system.

The draining system in Tuscaloosa is non nonexistent. In most cities and towns you will notice covered holes on curbs that water runs into during a heavy rainstorm. If you take a look around Tuscaloosa one will notice that these drains are not there. The little drainage that does exist is dirty and clogged in certain places. On top of this the waterways that the city has built to drain out the rainwater are not efficient enough for the amount of rain Tuscaloosa gets. These waterways simply can’t take the strain and are constantly overflowing causing the streets to become filled with water.

There are many ways for the city of Tuscaloosa to improve the draining system and reduce the amount of flooding. The first step the city should take is to look at the map of the current drainage system to see where they should implement new systems. Next they should send people down underground to clean out and evaluate the status of the current systems in place. The city needs to check all pipes to see if they are in satisfactory shape and capable of handling the amount of rainfall we get every year. After all pipes have been checked a plan needs put in place to start repairing and widening the current pipes along with adding new drainage to problem areas.

Fixing these drain problems will fix lots of problems for the city and for the residents that live in the city. The roads of Tuscaloosa will be that much safer for folks to drive on in stormy weather. Residents should take action and push for a newer and better drain system to be worked on. If people were to get together and make their voices heard one could believe that the government will do something about the problem because it simply cannot be ignored any longer.