Lee Supervisor hoping for MEMA and FEMA relief for road repairs
Motorists also cautioned to not drive around barricades at damaged road and bridge sites
LEE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – District 5 Supervisor Barry Parker said the weekend rains washed out at least four culverts.
Those will have to be replaced, along with repairing the portions of roads that washed away.
That comes with a hefty repair bill.
“We are estimating at least $731,000 in damages,” Supervisor Parker said.
To get help from the government for the repairs, Parker said there must be at least half a million dollars in damages.
Next, MEMA will come and do on-site inspections.
“We are looking at probably at least two to three weeks to get them out to inspect, then we submit our report, they validate it, and by the time they approve funding, at that time we can start working to repair the road,” Parker said.
In the meantime, bridges and culverts will be closed to all traffic.
But not everyone heeds the warning signs.
If you are driving road 598 it may look like you could just go around the giant sinkhole, but what you can’t see under the road can be dangerous.
“They don’t see that road is washed away under that asphalt there, you can’t tell it from looking at it on the surface, but if you go on it, it could actually cave the whole road in with you on top of it
It is only two feet of material there, with nothing under it supporting it,” Parker said.
Parker estimates the detour on County Road 598 will add about ten minutes to a motorist’s travel time. He points out that crews are working as fast and efficiently as they can to clear debris and gravel from roads and ditches.
Supervisor Parker estimates repairs to the washed out roads could take several months.
