SUFFOLK, Va. — Residents of Pughsville, a community straddling the border of Suffolk and Chesapeake, have dealt with persistent flooding and drainage issues for decades. Now, a major city project aims to tackle these longstanding problems, though some neighbors remain skeptical about its effectiveness.
"First of all the water is not leaving out of Pughsville," said Pamela Brandy, who knows from experience.
For more than 30 years, Brandy has called Chesapeake home and currently serves as president of the Pughsville Civic League.
While speaking with her about Pughsville's boundary lines last week, Brandy also mentioned the flooding problem.
Watch previous coverage: Safety concerns grow as Pughsville neighborhood lacks sidewalk
Neighbors tell me flooding is a constant concern in Pughsville, and they say debris-filled drains make it worse.
"Along the interstate there is a ditch path and everything, the city, Chesapeake came through here several times and cut down the trees but because it's so much water it grows up quickly," Brandy said.
The city of Suffolk has worked closely with the city of Chesapeake, creating the Pughsville Drainage Project to reduce flooding and manage storm water. The project includes an underground drainage system and a retention pond at the top of Town Point Road.
Water from the neighborhood is routed through ditches and culverts to the Chesapeake side, eventually draining into the Elizabeth River.
However, residents point to topographical challenges that complicate drainage efforts.
"If you stand at the corner of Pearl Street and Wise and look at Pughsville Road its up high, so if you're on the interstate and you look the water has to drop down far, so how you getting water up there, so water is not leaving out of this area because it's so far down," Brandy said.
City officials say the $10 million drainage project is designed to reduce flooding in the neighborhood, building an underground drainage system and a retention pond at the top of Town Point Road to capture storm water and release it slowly, attempting to keep streets and homes safe during heavy rains.
But residents say they'll be watching to see if the improvements actually keep water off their streets.
