Heavy weekend rain worsened Hughes Road
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) “It was very messy but also very dangerous.” Said Jeff Smith, Supervisor of Lowndes County District 4
That’s how Lowndes County District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith describes the scene on Hughes Road.
Several inches of rain over the weekend caused this area to flood and even stop up the ditch.
“The first thing that it did was wash the road completely out,” said Smith. “And that in itself creates a problem.
“We do not have a ditch in Lowndes County that can hold four inches of rain,” said Smith. “So, when you get that much rain in a short period, it is going to have flooding.”
“This creates a lot of problems for us, as far as being able to keep the ditches open,” said Smith. “And for the property owners, it is damaging a lot of personal property.”
Smith told WCBI that these new culverts were just installed a week ago, and the weather from over the weekend caused the culverts to be backed up once again, which has also led to part of Hughes Road being washed away.
“And with the heavy rain we got on Sunday morning, water drifted upstream and clogged this drain up.” said Smith. “Any additional rain we got now, could possibly damage the integrity of this road.”
A homeowner that lives near the ditch did not want to go on camera, but he said the water damage to the road has been very inconvenient for his day-to-day routine.
Smith said, the next step is to resurface the road once it dries up, so that it will be a smooth and safe spot for drivers.
“We want to make sure that these roads are open, that they are safe, and that people are able to go and come as they need to.”
Smith wants to encourage everyone who travels Hughes Road to be cautious, until the road is fully repaired.
