LAFAYETTE, La. — When heavy rain falls across Lafayette, some streets can quickly become covered in standing water. But according to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, flooded roadways are not always a sign that drainage systems are failing.
DOTD officials say catch basins and storm drainage systems are designed to move water away from roadways, but during intense rainfall events, water can accumulate faster than the system can carry it away.
"This is something that we do all year round," said Deidra Druilhet, public information officer for DOTD, referring to the agency's efforts to maintain drainage infrastructure.
Druilhet said heavily developed areas, such as Ambassador Caffery Parkway, often experience roadway flooding because there is limited space for water to naturally drain into the ground.
"When you look at, for example, places like Ambassador Caffrey, where you have so much business and so much development in that area, there's really nowhere for the water to run off," Druilhet said.
To help explain how catch basin systems work, Druilhet compared them to a bathtub.
"When you let up that stopper to let the water out, it's not a situation to where the water is immediately going out. It takes some time for that water to drain down," she said.
Druilhet said the Vermilion River also serves as an important drainage outlet for many stormwater systems in Lafayette. The river's water level can affect how quickly stormwater drains from roadways.
"If the river is running high at the time, then it may take some time for that water to drain off that roadway, but of course, if it's lower, then it will be able to drain a little bit faster," she said.
With periods of heavy rain expected across the region, DOTD is urging drivers to use caution on roads prone to flooding and to avoid bypassing safety barriers.
"We do encourage everyone to not remove those barricades because one of the things you just don't know is what that roadway is looking like underneath, especially if it's been inundated with a large concentration of rain," Druilhet said.
DOTD is also reminding residents not to litter, noting that trash and other debris can clog catch basins and storm drains, reducing their ability to move water away from roadways during heavy rain events.
