LELAND — A rainy weekend brought on a standing water issue outside new developments in Leland. The drainage issue has been addressed, according to the developer currently responsible for stormwater infrastructure.
On Friday, 3.04 inches of rainfall set a record event for the National Weather Service in Wilmington, breaking a previous 1981 record of 2.99 inches.
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Saturday, the rain continued with 2.84 inches, tapering off Sunday with .21 inches. By Sunday, standing water began to pool at a parking lot outside Ocean Gate Plaza shopping center and along Gateway Boulevard. Photos of a car in standing water appeared on social media, with residents of the Leland area sharing warnings to avoid driving near the area.
Monday morning, the town shared announcements to alert residents to about 4 to 6 inches of standing water between Ocean Gate Plaza and Aldi.
Hilary Snow, Leland’s spokesperson, said the town’s Public Services staff visited the flooded area Monday morning. Aldi’s developer, Pelican Property Holdings LLC, created infrastructure for drainage that Leland Town Center is essentially now adding onto, according to Snow.
The Town of Leland owns the roadway but is not responsible for the drainage infrastructure. Though the company did not design the original drainage system, Leland Town Center’s developer, C&S Commercial Properties, is now responsible for it.
Palmer Williams, a developer with C&S Commercial Properties, said the drainage issue was addressed this week and should not be an issue in the future. A drainage ditch behind Leland Town Center will catch any future stormwater flows.
Residents shared images of a car in standing water outside Ocean Gate Plaza on Facebook Sunday after heavy weekend rain:
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