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“We got over four inches of rain in a couple of hours,” said team lead Brad Holcomb. “We don’t design, not just Rockford, no areas design their storm systems to handle that kind of rate.”
Holcomb is in charge of reducing flooding risks in the city.
“I know a lot of people feel there’s blockages, but in a lot of instances the water can’t get in there because it came down so hard, so fast,” he explained.
The Stormwater Master Plan was submitted to the Rockford City Council in September 2024, identifying 35 projects that would address flooding issues.
The projects include installing storage basins, widening stream channels, replacing bridges and culverts, and storm sewer improvements, along with grassy vegetation areas to absorb water.
“We have a number of projects in the master plan that we’re working on currently, right now, where we have engineering plans being developed for over Keith Creek, over the Churchill Park area, to widen the channel. Those engineering plans are taking place right now,” Holcomb said.
The problem is the cost.
The expected cost of the projects is $9.5 million, but the city’s current budget allows for $5.9 million.
“And unfortunately, with drainage projects, most of them are millions of dollars to resolve. You know, it’s not just a simple fix, it’s millions of dollars,” Holcomb said. “Whether it’s a series of detention basins, channel upgrades, whatever it is, none of them are cheap. Unfortunately, so it’s hard to find the funding for that type of thing.”
Holcomb added that his team will continue to apply for grants, but in the meantime, they will work to make what improvements they can.
“We are working hard. That’s our goal. We don’t want people to go through this, you know. So we’re trying to achieve it. But we have to do it within our means and the budgets available to us. So we are trying to resolve these issues,” he said.
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