BATON ROUGE - The Mayor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness is asking people to prepare for heavy rain, wind, and flooding ahead of Francine.

Flooding continues to be a top concern for many in the parish and this week the city's infrastructure could be tested. After spending millions cleaning out major tributaries, rivers, and lakes, Transportation and Drainage Director Fred Raiford says there have been improvements.

"We've spent a lot of time and effort - are we where we need to be? No, not yet, but we're making a lot of progress," Raiford said.

A lot of debris has been removed from the Amite and Comite Rivers. Bayou Fountain, Jones Creek, Claycut Bayou, Elbow Bayou, Ward Creek, and Dawson Creek have been addressed by contractors.

"I rode most of the day yesterday looking at the channels and making sure there wasn't a real problem just because you never know what this storm event is going to do," said Raiford.

The University Lakes project is now over a year in and will help drain surrounding neighborhoods. Before a major rain event, the city plans to drop the gates at the weir on Stanford Avenue to bring the lake level down. It will create more flood storage within the lakes.

After last week's rain, the city says it is addressing 311 calls, and if you see a problem call it in.

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