BRENTWOOD, Mo. — Just one year ago, the St. Louis area was underwater from the Metro East to St. Charles County. How are some of the most heavily affected cities doing now?
Brentwood is nearly finished with one of its largest flood mitigation projects, Brentwood Park.
Last year, Brentwood Park and the area around it were flooded by Black Creek and Deer Creek.
“We didn't lose any homes with all that flooding, and so we were very fortunate. It was just businesses that took on the damage,” Brentwood Mayor David Dimmitt said.
To make sure that didn’t happen again the City of Brentwood specifically designed the park and improvements to Manchester Road to withstand heavy rainfall.
“It was designed to hold back floodwaters with a 100-year rain event, and it does that, and we got the properties out of there, the properties that would repeatedly flood. Those are gone. So now, it's just a green space,” Dimmitt said.
But they had to do more.
“After the storm, because of some requests of some of the businesses along Hanley, they back up to Black Creek. The city spent about $120,000 to clear out Black Creek to hopefully improve the flow of that creek and Deer Creek as well,” Dimmitt said.
The Little Bit Foundation was one of those businesses that lost almost everything. It serves children all over the St. Louis area with school supplies, clothes and even more beyond material things.
“When you're talking about flood waters, there's just things you cannot give to children. So with all of that, you know, we had to completely rebuild in one year's time,” The Little Bit Foundation CEO Miranda Walker Jones said.
Walker Jones said the foundation has been able to restock a lot of its donations, from the things that keep kids warm to the things that warm their hearts.
“So we are going through tons and tons of books, but they're great. Love our book donations,” Walker Jones said.
She said, unfortunately, the foundation won’t be able to go back to its office in Brentwood.
“We know we have a responsibility because these are donated items and things that we're giving out to kids to keep them safe and have them available for kids. School is starting very quickly here,” Walker Jones said.
But that won't keep them from their mission.
“Nothing's going to stop us from making sure that we are getting these things to our students in our service areas,” Walker Jones said.
The Little Bit Foundation is still looking for a more permanent larger space that has enough warehouse room and good office space. It's also looking for volunteers as we head into a new school year. Find more information here.
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