Heavy rains during the past week caused silt to run off slopes along North Washington Street, filling ditches along the road north of the Kings community and clogging box culverts under the road.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday declared an emergency allowing the city to hire a contractor without going through the bid process, which could take up to 30 days before a contractor is hired.

After the meeting, Public Works Director Garnet Van Norman said the city does not have the equipment to clear the culverts once they become clogged.

“We need to clear those as soon as possible,” North Ward Aldermen Michael Mayfield said.

According to records at the city’s water treatment plant on Haining Road, 5.16 inches of rain fell between July 24 and Sunday, most of that falling on two days, with 2.97 inches falling Friday, and 1.39 inches Friday.

The area affected is along North Washington between Kings and the road’s intersection with U.S. 61 north. Water remains in several ditches along the road’s east side, and mud still clogs another section. Dried mud lines the road’s northbound lane.

At one point during heavy rains Friday Van Norman said, a culvert was blocked and forced water to flow out of ditches and across the road.

“We were able to clear that one out,” he said. “It’s open now.”

“We’ve got four box culverts under the road that are clogged,” Public Works Director Garnet Van Norman told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen Monday. “One of those is a double box. We’ll have to get a contractor to clear it. “When that mud gets in there, it can set up like masonry,” he said. “They (contractors) use big augers, and they go in there and clear them out.”

He said the area has a drainage problem, adding, “you can’t stop ditches from silting in in heavy rain. That area doesn’t drain well.”