PINE BLUFF, Ark. — When Kenneth Lee looks down Avondale Avenue in Pine Bluff the first thing that comes to his mind is flooding.
“This area here in particular, I have firsthand experience from because family members live over here and trying to get to them, them trying to get out, and issues they face,” Lee described.
He said that flooding across many areas in the city has been a concern for decades.
“I was seeing flooding here ever since 1980,” Lee added.
Due to these issues, he's glad to be part of the Arkansas Black Mayors Associations Project which is working to fix flooding problems, and a lead consultant.
“We put the application together, there was a lot of pictures and even videos of flooding,” said Executive Director of the Association, Frank Bateman. “This is what the resources that have been provided for these communities will address.”
There has been $95.5 million approved to improve watersheds across Arkansas. Right now, about $83 million dollars of that money is set to be used in Pine Bluff, Camden, Forrest City, Haynes, Mariana, and West Helena.
Bateman explained that each place is in the planning stages of how to use the funding.
“The five will get design and construction so they get the full deal,” he said. “Once you get to construction, I mean design it's of course going to be able to design the model, you know that they need to get the water out.”
In order to accomplish everything, the association said they need help from the people who call these communities home.
“If you know [of any] floods let it be known and that way, you'll be on the list to try to get some assistance,” said Lee.
Throughout the next few months, the association plans to hold meetings so they can hear from people about where flooding is the worst.