LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — Lafayette Parish will hold a public meeting at the Lafayette Public Library to address ongoing drainage issues in the city.

Community members were invited to discuss challenges such as aging infrastructure and increased flooding due to heavy rainfall.

“Ironically, most people don’t realize when you drive down on the street in the downtown area, there are no inlets, there is no drainage underground there,” said Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet. “It’s a major project though, so we are going out for public feedback now.”

Lafayette has been experiencing more frequent heavy rainfall, which has exacerbated flooding problems. The city’s drainage system, which is over 100 years old, was not designed to handle the current levels of urban development and weather patterns.

Boulet highlighted the need for modern solutions to improve the drainage capacity, particularly in downtown Lafayette, Freetown and near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s campus. Planned improvements along Johnston Street aim to strengthen these neighborhoods.

Following significant rain events in April, city engineers have been tasked with rethinking drainage strategies. Boulet emphasized the importance of community involvement in this “fundamental shift” in addressing drainage challenges.

Residents unable to attend the meeting can report drainage concerns through the 311 service, either by calling or visiting 311Lafayette.services online. Boulet stressed the critical role of community understanding and participation in the city’s infrastructure projects.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KLFY. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KLFY staff before being published.

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