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North Kenner resident presses council on recurring street flooding; public works vows targeted cleaning and flushing
Summary
At the June 30 Kenner City Council meeting, a resident complained that drainage capacity on Berlino Drive had declined and pressed the city for inspections and an action plan; public works said crews would clean and flush drain lines in the neighborhood and noted larger pump and canal projects are planned to alleviate systemic issues.
A Kenner resident told the City Council on June 30 that his neighborhood is experiencing worsening street flooding and that email requests for help had gone unanswered. James House, who identified himself as a fifth-district resident, said he had emailed the mayor’s office, district council members and public works about near-flooding events and had received no acknowledgment.
"As of today, I have received no acknowledgment or response from anyone. That silence is unacceptable," House said, asking the council to inspect drains in his area and provide a formal action plan with a timeline.
Council members and public-works staff responded at the meeting. Mayor’s office and staff acknowledged receiving the emails; public-works Director Jose Gonzalez said the department had been asked to respond and that crews would quickly go into the neighborhood to clean and flush drain lines and drainage structures. Gonzalez also noted the city experienced a high-intensity rain event the prior Saturday that dropped over three inches of rain over Kenner in a short period, which generated street flooding across the city.
Public-works staff described a two-part approach: an immediate cleaning and flushing of lines in the specific neighborhood to remove potential blockages, followed by longer-term projects that are under way or planned — including adding pumps at the Parish pump station and other pump-station projects (Woodlake and Seaton Park) intended to reduce load on the Duncan Canal, the main north-Kenner drainage corridor. Council members said Jefferson Parish operates many pump stations and that cooperation with parish crews and the airport’s pump operations will be important to reduce flooding.
The resident repeated his request for a detailed inspection and timeline; public-works staff said crews would be dispatched in the coming days to clean and flush the neighborhood drains and then assess whether additional targeted work is needed.
Ending: Public-works committed to inspect and clean the drains in the affected neighborhood within days and to report back; larger drainage improvements remain in planning or design phases and may reduce flood risk when completed.
