MACON, Ga. — Macon Water Authority crews are working to make sure the county's stormwater system can handle whatever rainfall Hurricane Ian may drop on Bibb County.
Since Monday, Macon Water authority crews moved from hotspot to hotspot, clearing out catch basins of dirt, limbs, and litter.
"We have 50+ hotspots that have in the past caused flash flooding," said Marvin Land, Macon Water Authority stormwater manager.
They also are responding to about 95 work order requests from homeowners who reported clogged drains to the Authority. By Wednesday, they had cleared 65.
Land says those hotspots are all over the county from Liberty Church Road in South Bibb all the way to Zebulon Road-- where just three weeks ago, eight inches of rain left up to a foot and a half of flooding and halted cars on the roads.
"We are just trying to get what we can in areas we know have flooded in the past... just to make sure there's no blockages and no debris so the system can flow like it's designed to do," Land said.
Earlier this month, the authority said they cleared less than a quarter of the county's catch basins since they took over stormwater maintenance almost two years ago. That's about 5,000 of the Macon-Bibb's estimated 24,000.
Land said by Wednesday, less than a third of all drains in Macon-Bibb have been cleaned out. They've cleared about 2,500 more drains since Zebulon Road flooded.
As for whether the stormwater system is ready for Ian, Land says, "it depends on if the rainfall we get in a short span or if it's spread out over a few days."
If you're concerned about a clogged storm drain, you can report it to Macon Water Authority. They say they're trying to get to as many as possible before the storm.
You can report any clogged storm drains by emailing the Authority at customercare@maconwater.org, or you can call (478) 464-5600.