BURGIN, Ky. (LEX 18) — Councilman Syndicat Dunn has been watching Burgin's flood problem take over the city since he was a kid.
"The flood would come every 10 years. And it's been doing this for a long time," he explained.
But he said the infrastructure has deteriorated, causing floods to happen more often and water to stick around much longer.
Specifically, on the aptly named Water Street.
"See how these houses right here have been destroyed? The house is gone. The house across the street from it is gone," Dunn said.
Today, Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman announced that $880,000 will be spent to install a new drainage system.
Burgin leaders, including three different mayors, worked for years to fix the city's tax audits to make them eligible to receive grant money.
Now, they will receive $562,000 from the federal government and the rest from the Kentucky Department for Local Government.
"We are solving a decades-old problem without any cost to the city," said Coleman.
One vocal resident, Margie Brothers, said she's watched flood affect families, including her own, for four generations.
"We're hoping if we get this done, some people might come back," said Brothers.
Leaders are not expected to break ground on the project for 18 months to two years.
