A Drainage Solution

To the editor:

I have been reading many articles in the Fayette County Record on the issue of flooding in La Grange. Is there an easy answer to this problem, the answer is no. In the many years I have lived here the most devastated flood had to be with Hurricane Harvey. I have dealt with the flooding of beef head ditch, to the highways (71 and 77) intersection mainly to now, I have noticed Hwy 77 South and Live Oak Street. When La Grange receives heavy rain the water goes to the storm drains which drains to the Colorado River. Well when the river raises there is no where for the water to drain.

Now there are several people I have heard say to enlarge the drain pipes and inlets, while that sounds good, but on the upper end, if there is no place for the water to go it will still back up.

Now. I remember in history when Galveston was devastated by a hurricane in the 1900, the Army Corp of Engineers came in and raised the entire island by ten feet. In the Houston area, specifically the Memorial Heights, the homeowners started raising the elevation of the houses above the flood stage due to flooding.

Now another alternative to flooding in this area like Houston, including my home in town and other areas around Houston and the Dallas Fort Worth, are building retention ponds to divert flood water for the storage of flood waters. Now is this costly and where would these be built? Nothing is cheap. Just something to ponder.

Jackie Skelton La Grange