Maintaining drainage systems one of most important steps for hurricane season

Standing water is always an issue but especially during hurricane season. The more it rains, the more debris clogs up the ditches. The more clogged ditches there are, the more it floods.

And with all the rain we’re getting as the hurricane gets underway, people say they’re concerned over what will happen when the water doesn’t have anywhere to go.

The storm team from Lee County’s Department of Transportation is trying its best to avoid those clogged ditches and standing water. Cape Coral and other local municipalities are doing their part to clear the canals and ditches as well.

Carolyn Beck, of San Carlos Park, said there was a mess outside her home last week so she decided to call the county. ” I’m pretty scared of hurricanes so I’m just trying to get ready, ” she said. “And they said they would send someone out to check on it and here we are.”

Beck says it’s only gotten bad once, during Hurricane Irma, but she still wants to be prepared. “I’ve been here about 27 years and it’s only ever happened once before so they were pretty messy.”

“There are two functions that the ditches serve. The ditches and the overall surface water management systems. One is for protection and the other thing is also control of the movement of water to improve water quality,” said FGCU professor of hydrology, Tom Missimer.

If you see standing water right after a storm, don’t be alarmed. If it’s been a day or two, that’s when you should probably make a call.

But of course, the county can’t come help if they don’t know about the issue, so they need you to be their eyes and ears. If you see something, say something! To put in a ‘Request for Action’ to improve water drainage you can call Lee County’s REquest for Action hotline at 239-533-9400 or go online. You can also use these resources t report blocked creeks and streams.

To find out if your road is maintained by Lee County DOT, you can check their road lookup website. And if you discover it is not you can find your municipal contact here.