Clogged ditches make flooding worse

MATHEWS COUNTY, Va. - Commuting in, around, to and from Mathews County was not an easy task Wednesday morning. “It was raining terrible. The roads were flooded at Route 17 in Gloucester, and down Jefferson Avenue to the neighborhood behind my work,” Kent Kane told WAVY.com.

Kane got all the way to work in Newport News Wednesday morning just to learn he needed to come back home to Mathews.

“I got a call from the school the kids were getting out at 11 o'clock, so I hustled back to meet them,” Kane said.

His son, 14-year-old Elisha wanted to stay in school. Elisha explained, “I was pretty disappointed about getting school off because we were having a wrestling match.”

Rain water covered several narrow roads throughout the county. School administrators did not want to take a chance busses would have trouble in the afternoon.

Then, the sun made an appearance. Still, Kane said he understood.

“Safety wise, it's a good thing that they did cancel,” he said, as he watched 5-year- old Hannah ride her bike before the sun went down.

Other neighbors were hopeful the latest rainfall and subsequent flooding will have an impact on the next time. Resident David Davis told WAVY.com flooding has become a frequent event.

“Route 608 ... had quite a bit of high water and you'd have to wait for oncoming traffic so you could stay on the crest of the road,” he said.

Davis explained it's been this way for 25 years and he's frustrated because a big part of the problem comes from blocked drainage ditches. One fallout ditch near his home has been clogged since before the November Nor'easter. Davis said he's been in touch with VDOT. “My neighbor and I tried to unstop it and couldn't get it done. I think today the note I got the email I got says in two weeks [VDOT] hopes to do something.”

County Administrator Stephen Whiteway told WAVY.com VDOT is responsible for roads in the county. However, he said the state agency has a hard time keeping up with local drain maintenance with recent budget cuts.

Most of the fallout drains are on private property. According to Whiteway, in past decades, property owners would maintain the ditches on their land. He said the population has grown older and fewer property owners have the ability to keep up with fallout ditches.

Now the county offers an annual program to help fill the gap. Through the Planning and Zoning Department, homeowners can apply for help. With the owners consent, inmate work crews can clean some of the ditches.

Whiteway said crews have already started work this year, and the county is still accepting applications.

For more information on the Fallout Ditch Program call 804-725-4034 or click HERE.