ORANGE, Texas — Simmons drive has had a flooding problem for years now, especially during hurricane season. However, Kelvin Knauf, Director of City Planning and Community Development says that the city has a plan.
"Well the bigger picture is to address flooding in Orange. To try to keep properties from flooding but also the master plan has a vision for Simmons drive," Knauf told 12News.
Knauf says that that the city has been planning to fix up Simmons since the mid 90s.
"It's not something that was just done recently, " Said Knauf, "It's been on the books for several years, and several decades and we fortunately had the funds to finally make that happen and so we're trying to follow that master plan that was adopted".
The city of orange recently tore down the old distillery on Simmons Drive, and Tuesday a city council will vote whether or not to make an offer on the old sugar shack also on Simmons with plans to tear that building down since it's in the flood zone.
"During a storm a strong current forms. Then these buildings are in danger of collapsing and falling apart so then that debris gets washed further down the floodway," Knauf said.
Tearing down these abandoned structures could be the key to saving homes, businesses and other attractions such as the orange pavilion from harsh floods.
Some orange residents like Sharron Platt, who's lived in orange 57 years, know all to well just how devastating the flooding can be during a hurricane.
"Ike and Harvey it was pretty bad," Platt told 12News.
Platt is happy to hear that the city is prioritizing flood mitigation.
"Oh yeah they're listening to people," Plat said, "I don't know who got them started, but the mayor, or whoever, the government of the town they really doing a good job. They're putting the money where it really needs to go, but it feels good."