CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The steady rain that hit the Corpus Christi area Monday morning produced standing water on many heavily traveled streets such as Everhart Road.
Commuters such as Derrel Puckett and Bob Sanchez said they see the everyday impacts that continuing rainfall can have on Corpus Christi roadways.
"They really ought to try and fix the streets as much as they can," Puckett said. "Because it literally gets bad when it rains. So, yes they should really try to fix the streets. The drainage problem is real bad in some areas."
Drivers said they aren't sure what causes the problem, but they do know they want the streets to drain more quickly during heavy rain events.
"Basically it's old antiquated systems, I guess under the streets," Sanchez said. "I guess that's what they're trying to straighten out all of the big streets, but that's like out of my hands."
Due to leaves and other forms of debris blocking drainage ditches, water can sometimes have a hard time going down. Public Works Director Roland Mata told 3News that the City is working to try and clean the streets of debris. A company has been hired to sweep the streets, and the City is also purchasing its own equipment to help in that effort.
"We're about to purchase some additional equipment," Mata said. "We're still going to need help from the contractor."
Mata also said that many of area streets are sloped from the middle down to the curb. That's causing all of the water to stay in the right hand lane until the catch basins can drain it.
Janssen Drive is a roadway that runs between Everhart Road and Holmes Drive. 3News did not find any catch basins along the road. Instead, the rain turned it into one big lake of water.
"We'll take a look at Janssen and any other street that the citizens may have a question about," Mata said "Then we'll see whether or not, what we can do, and see how we can best come up with a solution for them."
Mata believes that in the coming years the street reconstruction program is going to help with the drainage problem along area streets. It will also eliminate a lot of pothole problems.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- 60-year-old woman fends off would-be carjacker in parking lot of Corpus Christi post office
- CCPD ask for public's help in solving cold case from 2017
- PCR testing delays, why you might still be waiting to know
- USS Lexington celebrates 30 years in Corpus Christi
- Six Points intersection receives new colorful crosswalk
- 'Extreme risk': Nueces County COVID-19 threat level at red
- Where to get a free COVID-19 test in Nueces County
Want to send us a news tip?
Put your name and contact information below so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous.
If you do not have a photo/video to submit, just click "OK" to skip that prompt.