Terri Sewell

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell awarded the city of Homewood $250,000 to improve stormwater drainage during a tour of her district on Wednesday.

The money will be put toward upgrading and expanding culvert capacity in the neighborhoods surrounding Edgewood Elementary School, which have experienced flooding and drainage issues over the years. The funding is part of the $9.5 million Sewell secured in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process for local projects in Alabama’s seventh congressional district.

“It’s such an honor to represent my home district. I grew up in this district. I know I’m talking to the choir when I talk to the folks here who are representing Homewood,” Sewell said.

“Many of you have been longtime residents of Homewood and know how important it is that we work together. We do a tour through all of our communities every year, multiple times, so that we are engaged with the elected officials and community leaders to hear directly from them as to what their needs are so that we can seek to address that together.”

Historically, the areas most affected by flooding within Homewood are along tributaries of Shades Creek and Griffin Brook, which runs through the Edgewood area.

This project will provide upgrades to the infrastructure by making the pipes bigger to carry more stormwater and decrease the amount of flooding in the area.

In 2024, Sewell secured $1 million to improve water drainage in Homewood.

Homewood Council Member Nick Sims said investments in stormwater infrastructure have helped to improve the city’s FEMA rating, which saves residents money on their flood insurance policies.

He added that the new upgrades will not only mitigate flooding, but help protect home values in the area.

Sims, who represents the Edgewood community, said the area around Griffin Brook has a history of flooding including at the Crescent at Lakeshore Apartment Complex in 2021 in which residents had to be rescued by boat.

“This will help to prevent those crises,” Sims said. “Stormwater infrastructure is very important to the sustainability of our city.”

Last week, Sewell visited the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority to present a $25 million check representing federal investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the agency’s new operations and maintenance facility.

After her stop in Homewood, Sewell said she is headed to Bessemer to present an $850,000 check for the housing authority’s new community center.

Tomorrow, she will be in Tuscaloosa giving the local library a $250,000 check for upgrades.

“We’re really just going around our district to make sure that folks know what we were able to get out of the 2026 budget process,” Sewell said.

She added that this federal funding will help to improve infrastructure, housing and economic opportunities throughout the district.

“We have to be accountable for the resources that we already have given to our constituency, but we also need to make sure that we are continuing to help them in their process of expanding and providing better economic opportunities.”