People in Hamilton have to take a detour after road collapses

HAMILTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Tornadoes and high winds weren’t the only weather extremes last night.

Those storm systems also brought heavy rains.

And those rains have caused a major headache for residents and drivers around Hamilton.

Last night’s rains caused a washout on Old Wolfe Road, forcing a detour for drivers and leaving a mess for the county’s Road Manager.

After tornadoes and heavy rain went through several towns Tuesday night many people are now having to deal with the fallout.

Around 8:15 p.m., first responders were called to Wolfe Road in Hamilton after a culvert collapsed bringing the asphalt and even a truck down with it.

When they got there, they found two people trapped in a Toyota Tundra 30 to 40 yards away from where the bridge caved in.

Monroe County Road Manager Daniel Williams said this is one of the dangers his department has to deal with when storms blow through.

“This time of year when you get these heavy rains as we got we are looking at three to four inches for about three or four hours last night it’s going to happen from time to time,” said Williams.

Williams said the price tag for repairs is going to be around $16,000.

“The culvert itself you’re looking at about $12,000 and about another $3,500 in material and labor to install,” said Williams

But his crews prepare for emergencies like this because they know they have to keep Monroe County residents moving and safe.

“We try to keep culverts like this on hand especially this time of year just in case we have a problem on the road we can get it open as soon as possible,” said Williams.

The driver of the truck suffered moderate injuries and the passenger is suspected to have no injuries and they are expected to be ok.

Williams said he is happy that no one was severely hurt and hoped to have the road fixed by the end of the night.

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