Floods close some businesses

BAY MINETTE, Ala. (WALA) - The Piggly Wiggly parking lot is dry now, but it was just one of the areas in Bay Minette filled with water from the torrential downpour June 8-11.

“It was just complete mess. The roads were washed out and I have to go to work. I have to drive and you just have to be careful,” Shannon Murray said.

"Closed" signs are still posted on Thrift Town's doors. Signs inside the store indicated it was supposed to re-open Monday but there was too much rain for the business to bear.

"I just drove by the road and there was water going in the store. The whole parking lot was full of water," said Bill Odom.

FOX10 spoke with locals who believe the drainage system is the root of the problem. They said any time there's a heavy rain the parking lot floods, and it’s been happening for years.

“We have seen it before. Every time we get that rain, it does the same thing right here. I've had to wade in water a few years ago to get into the store,” Odom explained.

“They need to get a better draining system is what they really need to do,” suggested Murray. “That's what our tax dollars are for, is to go towards the community and helping everybody out. ”  

“Every time it gets a tremendous rain, yes, it floods, it does all the time. There is something wrong with the drain and water can go through the pipe down there,” Odom said.

For the Piggly Wiggly, the storm has passed and most local businesses have opened back up, but it's a problem many could have lived without.

“Today, you can see it's pretty and sunny and I hope it stays like this, because it's beach time not rain time,” Murray said.

A number of businesses including car dealerships and restaurants experienced flooding, but no managers were available for comment.

We also reached out to city leaders, but they too were unavailable.