Officials say work on the crucial project has been pushed back at least a month

NEW ORLEANS — It was a Mother's Day we won't forget, and by now, we are used to videos of water in the streets and cars ruined.

Now, residents like Emily Hall in Mid-City are left asking: Is this the new normal?

Like most, Hall knows about flooding in New Orleans. She said she finds some relief knowing there is a new drainage project across the street from her house.

When it's done, it's expected to drastically decrease flooding in her neighborhood. But for now, like her car, the construction site is flooded out.

"Every time it rains really heavily, it's like the whole thing fills up with water and it starts to look like a lake, just in the middle of the neighborhood," said Tessa Hansman at Rosalie Apothecary on Toulouse Street.

The project, named the Hagan Lafitte Drainage Upgrades & Green Infrastructure, calls for huge rain storage containers to be built beneath the grass of Easton Park. As those fill up, they will empty in the St. Louis Canal.

But rain has backed up work on construction of the containers at least a month, said Ramsey Green, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Cantrell administration.

"One of the reasons for the delay: Crews have to pump all of this water out but before they can put it back into the city's drainage, they have to test it because it could be contaminated," Green said.

The testing process takes about a week. Despite delays, though, city officials said they are positive the project will make a difference when it's done.

"I think it's going to make a noticeable change, this is future in terms of infrastructure," Green said.

For Hall, she said she's still out $1,000 for her car, but is hopeful that help could be on the way.

"I hope more projects like these spring up because it does affect everyone at some point," Hall said.

This project is set to be complete in 2020, with the park rebuilt on top and some of the surrounding streets repaved.