A Palmview area that has dealt with flooding for years is finally getting a drainage system.

Crews started work on the project Wednesday near Leo James Elementary School, according to Palmview Mayor Rick Villarreal. The area was originally built outside city limits with no drainage infrastructure.

Palmview resident Eddie Garza said floodwater used to pour into his backyard during heavy storms.

"It literally looked like a little creek of water," Garza said.

He shared video of the flooding with Channel 5 News. Garza said floodwater crept onto his front yard and sometimes made its way inside his home.

Garza said water from the elementary school property would flow into nearby backyards, hitting homes without brick walls the hardest.

"So all I had to do was put up a concrete wall, but at the same time it was a nuisance getting all the water flooding in the front of the street," Garza said.

The city recently secured funding to build the drainage system. Mayor Villarreal said the neighborhoods had gone without one for years.

"Those were areas that were unincorporated in the city, three, four, five, 10, 20 years after those neighborhoods were built," Villarreal said.

The new system will run along six streets behind Leo James Elementary School: Tierra Linda Circle W., Tierra Linda Boulevard, Agua Dulce Street, Chihuahua Street, Durango Street, and Guadalupe Street.

The $2.5 million project is funded through a grant from the Texas General Land Office. The city is covering 10% of the cost.

Garza said he is hopeful the flooding problems will end and has no plans to leave.

"The community is really nice. The cost of living is cheaper; it’s nicer," Garza said.

Engineers will continue marking the road and excavating the area. Construction is expected to wrap up by the end of 2026. The city said pickup and drop-off for parents will not be affected by the construction.