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SAVANNAH, Ga. () – Hurricane season is here, and the City of Savannah is unveiling its long and short-term plans to keep the city above water.
As they do every year, the city recently upgraded its six stormwater pumps.
“Those are our real focus area when it comes to hurricane season, making sure they are in tip-top shape,” says Zack Hoffman, Director of Stormwater Management, City of Savannah.
With Savannah’s flat landscape and the heavy rainfall it experiences during the summer months, Hoffman says the pumps are instrumental in minimizing flooding.
“They essentially lift the waters, provide some hydraulic hid into the drainage systems,” says Hoffman, “So as Savannah is very flat in general, we can’t create much velocity to move the water out of the system fast enough during high-intensity rainfall events.”
The city is also making long-term preparations for severe storms, with a project improving the drainage system in the 54th St. area.
“54th St. is one example of a project going on where we’re upsizing some existing drainage infrastructure, being the underground pipe system down 54th St.,” says Hoffman, “We’re removing the old undersized pipe, and replacing with a 60 in. diameter storm drain.”
The project is also replacing pipes along Atlantic Ave., Reynolds St., Harmon St., and Abercorn St.
“We know that area right in there is kind of lower lying, has some issues with drainage, undersized, old infrastructure, small pipes,” Hoffman adds.
He says the new pipes will be able to drain 12 in. of rainfall in 24 hours and will be able to handle 100 year storm events.
He also says the drainage project will be put up for bid shortly, and construction for that could take up to four years.
