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Picayune officials review flood response after swift storms, plan rain gauges and outreach
Summary
After intense short‑duration storms caused localized flooding, public works and the fire department described cleanup and mitigation steps including ditch clearing, culvert work, installing rain gauges and better alerting; the city urged residents to report problem locations to Public Works or 311.
Council members and public works staff discussed a recent intense rain event that caused localized flooding and in some cases water entering homes. Public works and related staff described how crews have been clearing ditches, blowing out culverts and working to keep drains open, and they said the system typically drained within 30–45 minutes once the rain subsided in most locations.
Public Works Director Chris Bichon (introduced) said the event was significant and that staff are pursuing both immediate clean‑up and longer‑term steps, including installing official rain gauges and improving the city’s alerting for flash events. He urged residents to report drainage problems to the Public Works Building at (601) 798‑0031 or to call 311.
Officials acknowledged some limitations: very intense, short storms can overwhelm drainage capacity and can occur without a flash flood advisory; a council member pressed for continued maintenance of open ditches and more proactive messaging about slow driving through standing water.
Public works and police staff said they would coordinate messaging on social media and consider targeted alerts during severe short‑duration events. The city did not identify a timeline or budget for installing rain gauges or other system upgrades during the meeting; staff said more details will be provided to the council as plans progress.
