MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Montgomery County is investing $2 million for stormwater improvements in areas hit hard by unexpected flooding this past spring that left residents displaced and dealing with sewage in their homes.
The funding will focus on the Farmington subdivision and Dunlop Lane areas, where flooding was widespread and caught many residents off guard. The total project cost is $4 million, and county officials say they have nearly secured most of the funding.
"I can't look that many residents in the eye and say we're going to do nothing. We have to get something done for these residents so that they understand that their home still has value and that their families are safe," Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said.
The project will create a gravity-fed system to improve watersheds impacted by flooding, ensuring water flows continuously to the Red River.
"We're hoping that these improvements will protect against any flooding in the future. Obviously, we can't predict how much rain falls from the sky, but this will be a huge improvement for that part of the county," Golden said.
Some of the funding is coming from the sale of county property near Exit 8.
For residents like David Land, who was displaced by the flooding, the project brings much-needed relief.
"Ever since the flood, you've never really been able to kind of settle down. So it's always in the back of our mind," Land said.
Land described the overwhelming experience when the flooding first hit.
"It was just overwhelming of what's going to happen, you know, we got to vacate our house. We have to leave. Where are we going to go? What are we going to do? And just, there's just a lot of unknowns," he said.
During the initial flooding, community members rallied to help those affected.
"Never seen anything like it. I've been a first responder for 25 years, and I've always been able to give, you know, and it's kind of kind of cool," Land said. "I was just on the receiving end to help that day."
Land and his family returned home a week after the flooding, but some of his neighbors remain displaced.
"It gives us some reassurance now that you know, like we can rest easy at night, knowing that you know they're definitely they're looking for a mitigation strategy or a solution to this problem," Land said.
Construction is expected to take eight to 10 months once a contractor is selected. Mayor Golden says they will be putting out a request for proposals soon.
This follows an earlier emergency fund of $500,000 approved for flood damage in Farmington.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@Newschannel5.com
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