Lee County maintains swales during rainy season, hurricane season

Lee County confirmed its clearing swales in the county amid hurricane season and the rainy season to ensure safety during the possible effects of storms.

According to the county, Lee County Department of Transportation and Lee County Natural Resources are ready as it continues through the 2020 rainy season and hurricane season.

Continued maintenance throughout the dry season means Lee County DOT crews prepared drainage systems on the county-maintained roadway network for heavy rain events. That included prepping roadway ditches and swales as well as DOT-maintained drainage canals.

Now that it’s the height of rainy season, that work continues daily. After the Labor Day’s heavy rain, the county had crews out all week to ensure catch basins, ditches and swales were clear.

The county said road drainage systems are typically designed to handle about an inch of rain per hour. The rainwater travels to outfalls. The county says it has worked to clear those outfalls in areas that experienced temporary flooding last weekend, too.

The county says the following is critical information for people to know during rainy season:

The county asks the public to report blocked ditches, swales, canals and areas of local flooding:

• First, to find out if your road is maintained by Lee County DOT, visit http://leegis.leegov.com/RoadLookup/. If it is not maintained by Lee County, find your municipal contact by visiting www.leegov.com/dcd/flood
• Second, put in a Request for Action (RFA) to improve surface water drainage along your county-maintained road by contacting the Request for Action Hotline at 239-533-9400 or www.leegov.com/dot/requestforaction
• People can use the same phone number and website to also report blocked creeks and streams (example: downed trees, collected debris). The reported information will be directed to Lee County Natural Resources

Motorists who notice problems with traffic signals can contact the Traffic Operations Center at LeeTrafficTOC@leegov.com or call 239-533-5762.

Dangerous road debris can be reported to 239-533-9400.

When approaching flooded intersections and roads, do not drive or walk through a flooded area if you cannot see the road surface beneath the water. Keep your vehicle’s lights on and the flashers off.

And residents should take a look around and ensure that thunderstorm-related wind does not blow yard debris such as pine needles, mulch and palm fronds into roadway catch basins.