Evansville City Departments Prepare for Weekend Flooding – How Can You Help?

With 6-8 inches of rain possible over the next five days, the Evansville Water and Sewer Department, Street Maintenance and the City Engineer’s Office are taking steps to mitigate flooding and are asking for citizens to help. 

Here's how you can help with those efforts.

Clear Street Inlets:

• There are thousands of street inlets throughout the city, and Street maintenance crews cannot clear all of the inlets before it starts to rain and keep them clear. That is why the city is asking residents to help.
• Please clear the debris away from street inlets before it starts raining and place the debris on the ground away from the inlet and the area that may flood.
• If you see a clogged street inlet during the rain event, please clear the inlet and remove the debris from the flooding area.

Monitor Lower-Level Home Drains & Manholes:

• With the amount of rain predicted drainage pipes may become full and cannot handle the volume, causing to street flooding. Please drive safely.
• The EWSU Plant will be operating at maximum capacity during the predicted rain event
• There will be some relief into the Ohio River; however, water that backs up could come into a home or out of a manhole.
• Water may back-up into a basement or a floor drain, if a home does not have a check value in place.
• Homeowners should constantly monitor lower level drains and, if possible, block the drain with a towel or something similar to keep water from coming inside. (NOTE: Each situation may be different)
• Manhole covers could come off or spurt water into the air during the heavy rain event. If a manhole cover is missing or you see a release of water from a manhole, call EWSU immediately to report the location.
• To report a problem Monday through Friday from 7:30am-4:30pm, call EWSU Customer Service at 812-436-7846. After hours, call EWSU Emergency Dispatch at 812-421-2130.

Please be patient and help by clearing street inlets, monitoring lower-level drains and reporting missing manhole covers or water spurting out of a manhole cover.

Information from the office of Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke