The City of Helena-West Helena held a public meeting on September 21, 2024, to discuss significant stormwater improvement projects aimed at addressing flooding issues in Phillips County. The meeting highlighted two main initiatives: the Helena-West Helena Stormwater Improvement Project along Fourth Street and Plaza Street, and the Lincoln Court stormwater improvements in the Central West Side of town.

City officials explained that these projects were developed based on feedback from local residents and key stakeholders. While the improvements will not resolve all flooding issues, they are designed to provide the highest benefit-cost ratio, ensuring effective use of resources.

The Helena-West Helena project will introduce new stormwater inlets along Plaza Street to efficiently capture drainage during heavy rainfall. This system aims to redirect stormwater into an underground network, ultimately channeling it west and north along Fourth Street. The plan includes enhancing existing ditches and creating a detention basin to manage peak flows of stormwater. This basin will temporarily hold water during heavy rains, allowing for a gradual release downstream, which is expected to mitigate flooding in surrounding areas.

Officials noted that while the new system will expedite water flow, it could lead to increased peak flows in some downstream areas. To counteract potential flooding, the detention basin will serve as a storage solution, capturing pollutants from stormwater runoff and improving water quality before it enters local waterways.

Overall, these stormwater improvement projects represent a proactive approach to managing flooding and enhancing environmental health in Helena-West Helena, with the goal of creating a more resilient community. Further updates and community engagement will follow as the projects progress.