AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Taylor is moving forward with a multimillion-dollar flood prevention plan. The project calls for improvements to a north Taylor neighborhood prone to flooding.
Daniel Seguin, the communications director for the city, said officials are looking at $11 million for flood prevention improvements. One of the locations in the plan is near Drake Lane and Donna Drive.
"The Donna Channel project is going to create a detention pond up near Donna Lane and will also improve some of the drainage canals, waterways in that area to prepare for up to a 100-year flood event," Seguin said.
Mildred Kolinek has called Taylor home for more than 20 years. She lives on Drake Lane and said there have been multiple cases of flooding on her street.
"It’s a nightmare. You cannot sleep when this happens. It goes in the front door, and it just spreads all in the house, everywhere," Kolinek said.
She said the flooding in 2015 was particularly bad.
"We lost a lot of items, a lot valuables. They got wet, of course. If you don't get it dried up fast enough, mold will start setting in," Kolinek said.
Kolinek said the water comes from a drainage canal on Drake Lane between Davis and Donna drives. The water overflowed downstream.
Seguin said crews will widen and make the drainage canal deeper as part of the improvements.
"It’s nice. That's exciting, good news. Would have been better if it was longer, years ago, but better than never," Kolinek said.
The flood plans also calls for drainage improvements a little further southwest in town, near the Taylor Municipal Airport and along Travis Street to prevent erosion in those areas.
Seguin said the project will be paid for through grants. Approval is pending on that grant before construction can begin.