Groundskeepers at The Club at Jones Creek work to clear mud and debris from a cart path that was flooded during the downpour Tuesday night. JIM BLAYLOCK/STAFF

Residents reel as water recedes

Web posted June 22, 2000

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By Heidi Coryell and Melissa Hall
Staff Writers

Floodwaters might have reced-ed by Wednesday morning, but old tensions resurfaced, particularly for residents of flood-prone areas.

Carpeted floors were trans-formed into sponges, driveways were caked in rippled coats of dried mud, and neighbors worked side by side wading through pools of mud and standing water to rescue soaked belongings.

It's an unsettling sight, but a familiar one for residents of several subdivisions.

``It looked just like a river out here last night,'' said Judi Whaley, a Chelsea Drive resident whose home took on several inches of water after heavy rains caused flash flooding in her neighborhood Tuesday night.

Arriving home shortly before 9 p.m., the Augusta native had to wade through waist-deep water to reach the front door of her home, where her retired mother was inside, alone.

As Ms. Whaley worked with friends and neighbors Wednesday to salvage items from her waterlogged home, she recalled an image from the night before: white-capped waves reflecting the glare of street lights above.

``It was 4 feet deep on the street,'' she said. ``We were lucky this time, but it's hard. It's physically hard to deal with.''

Leaky ceilings. Flooded parking lots. Washed-out roads and felled trees. Augusta's heaviest rainfall in recent years was chockfull of drama and disgust, particularly for merchants and homeowners near Rae's and Rocky creeks.

Bush Field reported only .81 inches of rainfall Tuesday, but Daniel Field recorded nearly 4 inches during the same period, the effects of which were felt predominantly in west and south Richmond County and in isolated parts of Columbia County.

As the rain poured down, phone calls began pouring in to the city's 911 call center, said David Dlugolenski, Emergency Management Agency director.

Some residents said Wednesday that response times to their emergency calls were slow.

``In a flash-flood situation, you have zero to no warning,'' Mr. Dlugolenski said. ``Then, in a short period of time, you've got a large amount of rainfall, then you get a flood of calls.''

Click on image for larger version. STAFF

But by sunrise Wednesday, nearly 150 city workers had hit the streets, working to assess damage and clean up debris.

``For some areas, this is a recurring problem,'' said city engineer Doug Cheek, who spoke with several victims about possible solutions to flash flooding in their neighborhood. ``We've got channelization projects all up and down Rae's Creek, which helps, but it's not a cure-all.''

Continued development throughout the city often contributes to drainage problems, he said.

Although property damage estimates in Richmond County have not been compiled yet, the only expense to the city itself likely will be clean-up efforts along local streets and repairs for several parked police cars that were overwhelmed with water.

In Columbia County, Emergency Management Services Director Pam Tucker said at least 23 homes were damaged by flooding Tuesday night.

Stevens Creek Road was closed at 11 p.m. as mud and water rushed across its lowest point near the water treatment plant. The road did not clear again until about 9 a.m. Wednesday when the barricades were removed.

Homeowners in Watervale, the Forest Creek area on Crystal Court and Crystal Creek, Pleasant Valley subdivision, Hillside Court, Old Trail Road, Braddock Street and Sandlewood Drive were among those who reported flooding, Ms. Tucker said.

Ms. Tucker said the list of homes damaged by flooding would be given to county engineers so they could look at the areas to see if flooding mitigation work could be done.

On Hillside Drive, Susan and Artur Swift spent most of Tuesday evening with firefighters trying to move their furniture out of the path of mud and water that gushed inside their home after a backyard concrete-block retaining wall broke.

``We're lucky we still have a roof over our head,'' Mrs. Swift said. ``Our front yard, you could have gone swimming in it.''

The Swifts bought their house two years ago and were not aware of the flooding problem.

On Wednesday morning, their living room was just a concrete slab - the mud-soaked carpet had to be removed.

``It's a disaster,'' Mrs. Swift said. ``It was like a river flowing through here. It's real discouraging.''

Bob and Shirley Waldera spent Wednesday assessing the flood damage that occurred at their Washington Road business, B&S Engraving and Trophy Shop in Martinez.

The water, backwash from a clogged drain pipe, rose 18 inches, destroying inventory and office equipment in its path.

``This is Washington Road,'' Mr. Waldera said. ``This is a modern community. This sort of stuff shouldn't happen, not here.''

Downpours also required 25 outpatients at Walton Rehabilitation Center be transferred to the hospital's inpatient ward. An uncapped casing pipe for a new sewer line apparently allowed water from Augusta Canal to seep through the levee, onto nearby 13th Street and into the 25,000-square-foot hospital facility.

``Structurally, everything's fine, but there are several offices with water damage,'' said Frank Lewis, chief operating officer. Repairs will take an estimated two to three weeks, he said.

The canal's gates were closed early Wednesday to stop the water flow, utilities department Operations Manager Bud Hamlin asid.

Throughout the city, environmental health workers will spend the next few days treating pooled water with pesticides and growth hormones in an effort to retard the breeding of mosquitoes. Standing water from floods often contributes to mosquito outbreaks, officials said.

``It all depends on how much water is actually left,'' said Randy Wishard, an environmental heath specialist. ``A lot of areas have been so dry, and now they're holding water. It's not an immediate problem, but it will create a problem.''

Staff Writer Johnny Edwards contributed to this article.

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.