Residents, businesses press McAlester council over recurring flooding, stormwater maintenance

Several McAlester residents and business owners urged the City Council on April 22 to address recurring flooding and apparent stormwater maintenance lapses that they said are damaging private property and nonprofit operations.

Mike Thomas, who identified himself as the owner of Little Dixie Raceway, said the city’s drainage changes have concentrated water onto his land. "All the water that comes into your town comes on to me, and then it goes on to the softball field," Thomas said, adding that changes to development and cleaned channels now send runoff to his property faster than in the past.

Joey Clark, a local business owner at 1712 Dave Drive, told the council his building has flooded four times in the past five years. "Our building has flooded 4 times in the past 5 years from front to back," Clark said, and he said businesses spent more than $100,000 to…