MIDLAND, TX (KWES) - It hasn't rained as much in Midland as other areas, but the streets have started flooding.
The city blames the flat land.
Streets in Midland flood up to two inches in an hour during heavy rainfall.
The city said they have drainage systems in place but sometimes you just have to wait it out. When the streets were built, the land's natural shape was followed, without adding any dimension.
"We can build our streets to drain toward the curb and gutter but then our curb and gutter is extremely flat," said Gabe McClelland, Assistant Transportation Manager for The City of Midland.
The flooding is hard to prevent, so the city uses a drainage system.
"We have a storm sewage system in Midland," said McClelland. "Which consists of underground pipes and it moves the water into a drainage channel, drainage basin or a draw."
When those pipes are full, it becomes harder to drain, that's when you just have to wait for the water to run off.
The city said they haven't had any recent high water rescues and are working to make these low water crossing areas unable to access.
"Probably within the year, we have installed low water crossing gates and that's helped reduce the amount of low water rescues we've had," said McClelland.
The City of Midland recommends slowing down if driving while it rains, not following other vehicles too close and turning around when seeing a flooded area.
