Shiloh, Ala. — Six months after a binding agreement between state and federal agencies to address flooding issues in the Shiloh community, residents are voicing increasing frustration over the lack of progress and communication.
In October of last year, the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reached an agreement for a flood mitigation project aimed at addressing ongoing drainage problems in Shiloh. The agreement outlined several key actions, including the creation of a drainage ditch south of the community, regrading a detention basin, and expanding drainage systems.
According to the Voluntary Remediation Agreement (VRA), the state was required to submit a progress report detailing the implementation of these actions 180 days after the agreement was signed, and every 180 days thereafter. However, after six months, Shiloh residents say they have not received any updates or seen any tangible progress on the project.
Pastor Timothy Williams, a Shiloh resident, expressed his frustration on behalf of the community. “I believe there is only one person who was contacted, but everybody else has not. Now it’s frustrating because people are dealing with false hope and promises, and now what do you do when they said they told you they are going to be doing this and that, but they didn’t hold up their word?” Williams said.
The delay has caused residents to lose confidence in the state and federal agencies, who they feel have not kept their promises. For many, the flooding issues have been ongoing for years, and the lack of progress has only deepened their sense of disappointment and frustration.
The VRA’s stipulations for progress reports are clear, yet residents say they have been left in the dark about the status of the project. While two potential plans for flood mitigation have been discussed, the state has yet to take any decisive action. Williams urged the authorities to hold a community meeting to provide updates and clarify what will happen next. “It’s 180 days in, and people still haven’t heard from ALDOT. They just can’t come up and say, ‘We are going to go with this first plan,’ and people don’t know what’s going on in the community,” Williams said.
With the project at a standstill, many residents are now questioning their continued patience and whether they will ever see the promised changes. “We’ve lost hope,” Williams admitted. “People have been waiting for years. We’ve been paying taxes, and we’re still dealing with water running off the highway that we didn’t create.”
As frustration mounts, Williams and other residents have now enlisted legal assistance to push for a resolution. “The only thing they are saying is they are trying to fulfill the 180 days, but we know when you say we are trying, you’re not really dealing with it, so we got legal involved,” he explained. “Now that’s pretty much it. We are still in a hole, and it shouldn’t be.”
Williams was told that whichever flood mitigation plan is selected, it would take about a year to complete. But with the state still yet to commit to any course of action, residents are left wondering if the project will ever move forward.
As of now, the pressure on both state and federal agencies continues to grow, as Shiloh residents demand answers and solutions. Whether the involvement of legal teams will speed up the process remains to be seen, but for many, it is a last resort to ensure that their community’s needs are finally addressed.
