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Weekend storms flood again, but not so bad
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · July 17, 2014
Two weeks after June 30 storms flooded downtown, a second wave of strong storms hit over the weekend, though with a slightly less-potent punch.
These storms, which blew in Saturday night and Sunday morning, flooded downtown again, blocked roads and backed up some sewers, but did not creep into ground-level offices and stores like before.
Though it came close.
“This was not as bad,” City Administrator Matt Muckler said. “There was no flooding in city buildings like the previous storm.”
Second Street, Parkside Drive and Main Street around Village Green all flooded again and city and Hoover National Historic Site crews erected barriers to keep vehicles from getting stuck in high water. First Street — the same road as Parkside yet north of Main Street, flooded toward Green Street again, but did not get as far as before.
In the June 30 storm, West Branch Fire Department saw eight to 10 inches of water seep inside, but this time it only got within two feet of the building, Muckler said. Police Chief Mike Horihan said floodwaters got within five feet of the front door of the police office, which is attached to the south side of the WBFD.
City crews sprayed down Second Street and used a motorized power brush to sweep mud off the road on Monday, but Muckler said there was not as much mud to clean up as two weeks ago.
The city administrator said Monday that crews still had a couple days left to clean up from the June 30 storm when this weekend’s thunderstorms rolled through, like pushing gravel back into alleyways.
Dumpters — one from Johnson County Refuse and another from Chris Jones Trucking — set up after the June 30 storm were left out an extra week due to demand from the June 30 storm. The storms that fell over the weekend came a day or so before the Dumpsters were picked up Monday morning.
Horihan said all three full-time officers — himself, Alex Koch and Kory Hanna — as well as reserve officer Lynn Lovetinsky worked during the bad weather, but “it was not as bad as before.”
Another vehicle got stuck trying to pass through water flooding Second Street, he said.
“The main problem was traffic control,” the police chief said. “But it wasn’t quite as disruptive as last time.”
Springdale Agency’s Larry Heid said he did not get water in the office basement this time — two weeks ago he lost a furnace when the sewer backed up — but a water gauge at his home measured 1.8 inches from Saturday night’s storm. He did not remember Sunday’s accumulation
Parkside Repair employee Dave Hosier said flooding came within 10 feet of the door this past weekend; two weeks ago the office got up to six inches and the garage bays saw up to 10 inches.
As far as the June 30 storm, Muckler noted that city crews cleaned up corn cobs from Jack Wiley’s home on Scott Drive that washed in from cornfields north and west of there, and that the city will likely hire a professional cleaning company to clean up mold from the Town Hall basement.
Luis Herrerra, a partner in Agave’s Mexican Restaurant, reported Monday that he was able to reopen the restaurant Sunday after nearly two weeks of clean up when one to two inches entered the restaurant. The restaurant did not flood this past weekend.
He said the company had to replace the floors in the restrooms, main entrance and office, and walls in the restrooms, office and entrance, as well as the bar. The dining room floor is tile and was unharmed by the floodwaters, he said.
Herrerra said the building owners’ flood insurance will cover the damage.
Horihan said the carpeting torn out after June 30 has yet to be replaced. Insurance adjustors and possibly the Federal Emergency Management Agency are set to visit before the city decides on whether to replace the flooring with tile or laminate covering.
The police chief said workers tearing out carpeting and kickboard trim found mold at the base of the wall underneath the window in his office, but it was unclear whether that was caused by the June 30 flooding or a leaky window. Horihan added that the joints and floorboards in the building are galvanized steel and should be in good condition.
Much of what got ruined was thrown away, he said.
“It was a good excuse to clean house,” Horihan said.
Salvaged on Main and Cornerstone Real Estate on Monday had signs on their door saying they are still waiting to fully reopen after the June 30 storms.
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