Mobile has consistently ranked as one of the wettest cities in the United States, and Baldwin County doesn't fall far behind.

Heavy summer storms can turn streets into streams, test drainage systems and reveal the tension between rapid development and natural rainfall patterns.

That tension became clear on Aug. 14 when the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) ordered Wilkes Construction Company Inc. to halt work on a subdivision in Elberta. Inspectors found stormwater runoff carrying sediment into Moccasin Bayou, a violation of state standards. Under the cease-and-desist order, the company may only install and maintain best management practices and clean up existing sediment until ADEM approves any further construction. Baldwin County officials acknowledged stormwater issues at the site during recent thunderstorms but emphasized the county has no direct authority over the project, which is within the Town of Elberta's limits.

The enforcement points to a larger question Baldwin County keeps confronting: what happens when one of the rainiest parts of the country keeps growing?

Stormwater runoff — defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as "water from rain or melting snow that flows over land instead of soaking into the ground, typically due to natural factors or impermeable surfaces like pavement and rooftops" — becomes a problem when development replaces natural land with impermeable surfaces. This surface flow collects pollutants, which then travel untreated into streams, rivers and lakes.

Joe Maniscalco, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile, explained why Baldwin County's rainfall can be so intense and unpredictable.

"In the summertime, with the [Mobile] bay and the Gulf, we have temperature differences between the water and the land," he said. "When the land heats up, you're going to get what we call a sea and bay breeze. And those are boundaries, and when they develop, they can be a source for thunderstorm development over Baldwin County."

Even within the county, rainfall can be highly localized.

"Right along the immediate coast, the Eastern Shore, sometimes the weather can be almost sunny all day, but then you go a little bit inland, toward Robertsdale, Bay Minette, east of Spanish Fort, those areas can get quite a bit of rainfall when other areas along the county are just practically sunny all day," Maniscalco said.

When rain comes in heavy bursts, the ground and drainage systems can quickly become overwhelmed. Repeated downpours saturate the soil, and water that can't be absorbed runs off into streets, low-lying neighborhoods and local waterways, causing flash flooding. The problem is compounded in urbanized zones, where concrete, asphalt and other impermeable surfaces prevent water from soaking into the ground. Aging or poorly maintained stormwater structures can exacerbate flooding, turning what might have been manageable rainfall into a hazard.

"That is a city and a county-wide concern, especially if stormwater structures are not maintained," Maniscalco said. "If they get clogged up, that's where we have issues with flooding."

Gulf Coast Media reached out to Baldwin County's Planning and Zoning Division for comment on these stormwater and development challenges, but the office did not respond to multiple attempts by press time.

Development adds another layer of complexity. Jason Kudulis, director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program, explained that "as we build out these urban environments that convert natural systems into hardened infrastructure or communities, that's where you have this issue of stormwater runoff that can impair our local waterways and degrade water quality."

MBNEP works to counter these effects through stream restoration and nature-based solutions.

"When these streams start to become degraded, they only get worse. It just intensifies. The problem grows if you start missing one piece. So, we're able to go back and put those together," Kudulis said.

Programs like the D'Olive Watershed Restoration Program demonstrate how these approaches can be effective. Draining a total area of 8,739 acres, D'Olive is a subbasin of the greater Tensaw-Apalachee Watershed, with oversight shared by the cities of Daphne and Spanish Fort as well as Baldwin County. The watershed's primary stream, D'Olive Creek, along with Tiawasee Creek and Joe's Branch, eventually empties into Mobile Bay via D'Olive Bay.

The restoration effort reduced erosion and excess sedimentation in the bay by restoring natural stream processes in these major tributaries. Since 2012, MBNEP and its partners have restored nearly 15,000 linear feet of streambank, preventing more than 28,500 tons of sediment annually from reaching Mobile Bay while also protecting homes and roads. These projects serve as nature-based solutions for other coastal and urban watersheds, addressing stormwater runoff, loss of wetland habitat and downstream pollutant transport.

For Baldwin County, where rapid growth meets a rainy climate, the stakes are clear. Kudulis stressed the importance of planning ahead.

"If you get behind the eight ball on stormwater, you're going to spend decades just trying to keep your head above water in a reactive state. If you get on the forefront now and start being proactive… you're going to be doing yourself a great favor," he said.

He also highlighted the role of public engagement. Through MBNEP's Create a Clean Water Future campaign, residents, community groups and municipalities can learn how everyday actions, like keeping storm drains clear, disposing of yard waste properly and limiting fertilizer, help reduce runoff and protect local waterways.

"For Baldwin County and Mobile, it's a balancing act," Kudulis said. "We can grow, we can develop, but we also have to protect what makes this place special — and that starts with managing stormwater before it becomes a problem." 

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.