Hinton Baker stands near the swift-flowing Rae's Creek onWednesday afternoon. The creek runs behind his home, which was flooded in 1990. Mr. Baker says recent drainage improvements have kept the creek in its banks. MICHAEL HOLAHAN/STAFF

Flood work spares homeowners

Web posted February 5, 1998

 Thurmond Dam to open spill gates
 Snowfall surprises northwest Georgia

By Kelly Daniel and Rob Pavey
Staff Writers

Roy Patch, Hinton Baker III and Pat Tiedeman took similar walks this week, worrying, watching and wondering if nearby creeks would wage war against them again.

Mr. Baker walked away satisfied. Ms. Tiedeman and Mr. Patch paced nervously and may do so again this weekend.

This week's heavy rain -- nearly 3 inches since Monday, with forecasters predicting more Saturday -- has been the first real test of many flooding-prevention projects in Richmond and Columbia counties. So far, most passed. Neither county had flooding problems Wednesday as the rain tapered off.

Rae's Creek, Mr. Baker's nemesis, stayed well within its west Augusta banks this week and last, when 2 inches soaked the city. On Wednesday, swollen waters the color of coffee with too much cream sloshed against the banks, but never really threatened to escape.

``It looks like the work they did on it just down the street from us did the trick this time,'' said Mr. Baker, a Chelsea Drive resident.

Click on image for a larger version of this map

Reed Creek, in Columbia County, gave Ms. Tiedeman, the county's emergency management director, enough grief that she thought of closing it, but it only flirted with flooding in the end.

``We were lucky,'' Ms. Tiedeman said. ``It's been to the tops of the roads, but it hasn't gone over. But that doesn't mean it won't.''

Likewise, Mr. Patch isn't so sure Rocky Creek won't pay a visit to his Rozella Road home sometime this weekend. About a foot of water spilled from the south Augusta creek Tuesday, though no homes were damaged, he said.

``Nobody had to leave their houses, and I don't believe it got in anybody's home this time. But it got pretty close,'' said Mr. Patch, a Rozella Road resident since 1951. ``We did have enough floating around here to make you worry.''

The saturated ground won't have time to dry out before the weekend's expected wetness, so people were reluctant to proclaim Augusta free from flooding problems. But the 1-cent sales tax projects designed to end Richmond County's flooding appear to have worked well.

``Oh, man, has it,'' said Pam Tucker, Richmond County emergency management director. ``They have just really paid off. We still have a lot more to come. This is just work so far that's been done.''

Yet Columbia County officials fear the rapid growth in the area has outpaced infrastructure improvements needed to handle stormwater runoff. The county lags far behind its stormwater-control needs despite scores of new subdivisions, and in coming years taxpayers likely will be asked to pay for a game of catch-up.

Columbia County is asking the Georgia Emergency Management Agency for $13.7 million in federal assistance for stormwater mitigation projects. Most center on the Reed Creek basin, a 10,000-acre area with more than 9,500 households and 46 percent of the county's expanding population.

Richmond County also is seeking extra money -- grants, sales tax or otherwise -- to finance a $2 million regional retention pond above Wheeless Road to ease problems plaguing Rocky Creek. Bids are going out soon for a retention pond in the Lakeside subdivision, said Jack Murphy, acting public works director.

Meanwhile, Rocky Creek residents wonder when it'll be their turn to reap the benefits Rae's Creek homeowners have seen this week. Mr. Patch, for example, questions why the west Augusta waterway is usually mentioned first when flooding comes up in conversations.

``What gets us is they always show Rae's Creek,'' Mr. Patch said. ``Anything about the 1990 flood or water rising, seems they always see Rae's Creek. And they've been half-eliminated now. But we haven't been.''

Rocky Creek has been widened near Lumpkin Road and a new retention pond installed off Windsor Spring Road, easing problems in those areas, Mr. Murphy said. They've done ``extensive work'' in other subdivisions along the creek and basin, he said. But the retention pond off Wheeless Road is what will best help Rozella Road residents, Ms. Tucker said.

Rae's Creek, though, is nearly completed, with just two projects left. Crews spent much of last year widening the Rae's Creek bed and lining it with concrete and stones, raising bridges and wiping weather-related fear from nearby homeowners.

Jo Smith, a Kipling Drive resident twice flooded by Rae's Creek, was one homeowner who relaxed Wednesday morning as rain continued to fall steadily, if gently.

``They did a good job on Rae's Creek,'' Ms. Smith said. ``The creek would have to come up a good ways to go over its bounds. So I hope it continues.''

Staff Writer Jason B. Smith contributed to this article.