SALISBURY, Md.- A quick-moving storm dumped a significant amount of rain over the city of Salisbury on Monday, making some of the city's streets look more like rivers. Drivers had to find other ways to get around while some saw the waters rise up in their own backyards.
According to city officials, some of Salisbury's roads have drainage systems that are about fifty years old and not equipped to handle such intense rains. However, some upgrades are coming and crews were out in full force Monday, working on clean up efforts.
"It was on the grass, it was on the wood, it was on the sidewalk," explained Eddie Miller, while showing WBOC the area around his Lake Street home Tuesday.
Miller said Monday's rains came through so fast, the drains on his street could not handle it.
"Everything was just, it was chaos," he said. "Cars was coming around here riding fast and everything was out of control for real."
Dale Pusey with Salisbury's Public Works Department said the rains were just more intense than most pipes in the city's drainage system can handle.
"We designed for a regular storm, maybe a one year to a five year frequency and yesterday we had maybe a 50 year event," he noted.
But improvements could be on the way.
"We prioritize improvements and replacements of systems based on the magnitude and frequency of the problems that we see from storms like this, so we have some pipe systems that are programmed for replacement and others that are not because we don't really experience the problems in those locations," Pusey explained.
Upgrades are already happening on Isabella Street, in the form of a state highway project designed to help prevent more flooding on Route 13.
In the wake of Monday's storms, crews were busy being proactive. They spent the day doing preventative work, clearing drains of debris and weeds.
But some, like Dorothy Hudson, do not think that is enough.
"They didn't do anything except uncover that grating and all that other stuff was left and if it had been anymore of that rain, it would've just recovered it," she said.
The city of Salisbury is also installing devices to catch debris and trash in inlets across its streets.
Road crews cleans storm grates on a Salisbury street following Monday's storm that left some city streets flooded. (Photo: WBOC)
