Flooded Shiloh residents ask for community meeting after unfair agreement, years of being ignored ‘It’s a patch up job’

COFFEE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) — A Wiregrass community is begging for its voices to be heard after state and federal leaders ignored years of flooding and damage.

The Shiloh community has sent a letter to John Cooper, the head of the State Department of Transportation, urging a community meeting before they begin the improvements to fix flooding promised in the voluntary resolution agreement reached with the federal highway administration weeks ago.

Community residents say they are suspicious of their faith in ALDOT and federal partners after waiting six years.

“Here it is now they want to come fix their problems after six years dealing with the issue but the people have suffered damaging homes and lost money and now the people are wondering are they really going to do this or is this a patch job,” said resident Timothy Williams.

The agreement says the state will have to mitigate the flooding in Shiloh by creating a drainage ditch south of the community, regrading a detention basin, and creating a way water can go in, expanding drainage ditches, or adding a basin in the median.

However, residents say the agreement lacks crucial details.

“In the vra, we don’t know what’s going to be going on, how long it’s going to take, and where the water is going to be going. They basically just want to fix the highway. Some are saying they gonna take the water and route it to the other side of 502. Well that’s going to create erosion and damage other properties people are concerned,” Williams told WDHN.

Williams says while he’s thankful for the federal level forcing Aldot to do something about the flooding nightmare after half a decade, he says it a shame he had to go across the country to get help, like getting secretary pete Buttigieg to come down for a tour.

e says Governor Ivey, who federal transportation leaders had to let know they were coming to the Wiregrass, has not acknowledged or inquired about the problem, and they haven’t gotten a simple apology from ALDOT.

“That’s sad because that’s what you pay your tax dollars for. You would hope the governor would come and see what they have done because this is not a small task but something they created,” said Williams.

Williams says the community is asking the state to listen to them and get on the same page before they start digging. He says they are also worried the state department will make these commitments and then not follow through.

They hope to hear back about a community meeting in New Brockton or Elba, hopefully soon.

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