Why is the City of Santa Ana’s Public Works department allowing our city to flood when it rains?

Santa Ana is expecting 2 inches of rain on Sunday which will mean the streets will once again BE FLOODED!!!

It amazes me that vehicles have to drive through multiple inches water on MAJOR ARTERIAL streets in our city, and the city doesn’t seem to do anything about it. Where is the Police Dept telling drivers to avoid flooded streets?

Here are some examples people shared on Facebook of the flooded streets from last Friday:

• Main St & McFadden
• 3rd & bush
• Bristol & 17th
• Civic Center & Ross

Last Friday, the Orange County Fire Authority had to go out to Pico-Lowell neighborhood and block off the flooded streets.

The Public Works Agency is responsible for building and maintaining all public streets, storm drains, sewers, and water facilities.  Public Works already knows which streets will be flooded so why don’t they have signs our warning drivers to slow down?

Back in 2015, the city hired Michael Baker International to conduct a Storm Drain Master Plan for all of Santa Ana. The report divided the city into 7 Regional Watersheds and it identified the TOP 10 recommended improvements based on it’s analysis:

1. In the Delhi regional watershed, improve the County Delhi Channel between Alton and Sunflower.
   
2. In the Gardens regional watershed, improve the County Gardens Channel between Edinger and Sunflower.
   
3. In the Santa Ana regional watershed (Sub Area 14), improve the City system along 17th Street between the Santa Ana River and west of Flower Street.
   
4. In the Santa Fe regional watershed, improve the City system along Grand Avenue between Santa Clara and the Santa Fe Channel.
   
5. In the Santa Fe regional watershed, improve the City system along Tustin Avenue between 17th Street and the Santa Fe Channel.
   
6. In the Greenville Banning regional watershed (Sub Area 13), improve the City system between MacArthur and Sunflower.
   
7. In the Lane Barranca regional watershed (Sub Area 15), improve the City system between Alton and MacArthur which connects downstream to the Lane Channel.
   
8. In the Santa Ana regional watershed (Sub Area 13), improve the City system along Flower between Santa Clara and Santiago Creek).
   
9. In the Santa Ana regional watershed (Sub Area 11), improve the City system along Fairview between Trask and the Santa Ana River.
   
10. In the Wintersburg regional watershed (Sub Area 9), improve the City system along Rosita between Hazard Avenue and the Wintersburg Channel.

City Officials love to talk about creating MORE affordable housing in our city so MORE people can live in Santa Ana. BUT what about making sure we FIRST have the proper infrastructure in place so the city can function properly???