PORTLAND, Tx — Homeowners on Third Street in Gregory have dealt with a long-standing issue of flooding when it rains. Now, a project completed over in Portland could make a difference.
For now, David Smith, who has lived in Taft for over 20 years, goes through his typical routine of sweeping flooded water from his driveway into the nearby canal.
"I mean if we get a bad storm, the water will be over these ditches,” Smith said.
In the past, many residents have been trapped in their homes by heavy rain.
"I sat on my porch and watched a boat come down. I was in shock,” Smith said.
Alex Osegera lives across the street from David. He drives a lifted truck, and he lives in a home on stilts for a reason.
"Sometime there's a guy on canoe and he'll float through here and it gets bad. If we have lowered cars, we can't go through the water,” Osegera said.
Many people spoke with across the Gregory Portland area told KRIS 6 News reporter Victoria Balderrama they have experienced flooding in some way.
"We got 7 inches of rain in a short span of time,” one Portland resident said.
It was during one of these major weather events, the Green Lake Dam collapsed.
But now, after 3 years it has been rebuilt. Work was also done to address drainage issues. The project was managed by the Nueces River authority and the San Patricio drainage district.
Travis Pruski explained more about the changes made to the dam.
"We made it wider, and we lowered the crest of the dam, so it lowers the water as it backs up towards the City of Gregory. It's able to get over quicker versus it building up and causing back flow,” Pruski said. "It impacts every citizen in Gregory because their drainage flows out this way."
As part of the project, when Green Lake fills up, that water will be redirected from the streets to the dam and straight to Corpus Christi Bay.
