REHOBOTH BEACH, Del.- Rehoboth Beach will give $200,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make improvements to the city's outfall drains.
In August, six inches of rain drenched Rehoboth and flooded many businesses. The city's storm drain outfalls were clogged, causing water to back up, rather than flow into the ocean.
Now, there's a solution in the works. The Corps said it will extend the pipes by 18 feet on Laurel and Rehoboth Avenues and by 36 feet on Delaware Avenue.
This addition is good news, keeping businesses out of water. Back in August, the garage at Brighton Suites filled with water.
"Our property particularly suffered over $100,000 property damage from the flooding, 26 guest cars were totaled, we didn't have time to get them out," said John Kleitz, the hotel's general manager.
The Corps will extend the iron pipes. It said that will help them to stay clear of sand and do a better job of draining storm water.
Rehoboth Beach Mayor Sam Cooper said he wants to make sure flooding like what the city recently experienced does not happen again.
"The construction method used for the extension is beefier, heavier construction than what we've had in the past, that should be a plus, because the outer end takes a pretty good beating," he said.
The Corps said work will start later this winter. It's unsure on the cost right now, but says the project will likely be less than $1 million.
