November’s election has come and gone and now residents of one predominantly Black south Alabama community are worried money from the federal highway agency to fix a flooding problem may never arrive.

Residents of the Shiloh community, near Elba in Coffee County, say a highway construction project resulted in floods that damaged their homes and created health risks. They say they need federal action before January 20, 2025, when a new administration takes over in Washington D.C.

“We pray and hope that Secretary Pete Buttigieg would keep his promise that he made back in April of this year,” said community spokesperson Timothy Williams Monday.

The residents say the flooding began after the project to expand Highway 84 started in 2018.

The Federal Highway Administration, in 2022, opened an investigation into complaints that the project disproportionately harmed Shiloh residents because of their race. And in April, Buttigieg came to the community to see things for himself.

The federal highway agency last month reached an agreement with the Alabama Department of Transportation to modify Highway 84 to stop the flooding. But the community is also calling for compensation for the damages.

With the election of Donald Trump, the Shiloh community is uncertain about what will come of their demands.

Robert Bullard, an environmental activist and Elba native who has been an advocate for the community, calls for immediate action from the Joe Biden administration.

“Again, I am pleading with you to fully resolve the highway flooding problem and secure the funds for binding commitments to cover flood damages to homes, businesses, and property in Elba, Alabama’s historically Black Shiloh community before the Biden-Harris administration comes to an end on January 20, 2025,” Bullard wrote in an open letter to the transportation secretary published Monday morning.

Later that day, Trump announced Sean Duffy, a Fox News show co-host and former congressman from Wisconsin, as his nominee for Secretary of Transportation, to replace Buttigieg.

“We have two months to get justice for the Shiloh community,” Bullard added in his letter. “Let’s not fail them.”

Bullard calls for “binding commitments and an agreement to address damaged homes, property, and businesses…because it is unlikely the next USDOT under a second Trump administration would be inclined to resolve highway flood damages and losses of Shiloh residents that were caused by ALDOT under the first Trump administration USDOT.”

He explained that since Alabama’s action led to the flooding, the state should not only fix the highway but also pay for property damages and business losses.

Buttigieg’s office did not immediately answer queries from AL.com for this story.

The Alabama Department of Transportation said it is working with the federal government to bring resolution to the issues. The department has also denied violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits race discrimination in federally-funded programs.

An ALDOT spokesperson, in a statement Monday, said “we have been engaged with the Federal Highway Administration for quite a while as we work this process. … We anticipate having more to say on this matter in a few days.”

The community is, however, anxious to get things started.

“Because it’s been six years and the community has been given false hope and they’re feeling that because we’re Black, that’s why we can’t get no help,” said community representative Williams.