Thursdays rainfall washed away the road opening a sinkhole on Barton Chapel Road.TODD BENNETT/STAFF

Torrid rains tax drainage

Web posted July 18, 1998

By Brandon Haddock and Kristen Wyatt
Staff Writers

Augusta public works crews worked Friday to prevent a reoccurrence of flooding that occurred after Thursday night's heavy rainfall.

Crews cleaned sections of the city's storm-sewer system that had clogged with dead foliage because of this summer's drought, said Mike Greene, assistant public works director for the city.

A deluge Thursday night -- reports indicated that parts of south Augusta received more than four inches of rain -- overtaxed the drainage system, Mr. Greene said. The ground, made impermeable by the recent dry spell, also didn't absorb much of the rainfall, Mr. Greene said.

Those factors helped to cause several south Augusta roads to flood Thursday night, he said. Water also damaged a few Augustans' homes, some officials said.

``We had a couple of feet of water on the road in some places,'' said Pam Tucker, director of the city's emergency management agency. ``We had barricades up all over town.''

At different times, sections of Peach Orchard Road, Gordon Highway, Bobby Jones Expressway, Barton Chapel Road and Victoria Street flooded, Ms. Tucker said.

``Lots of these places are always trouble spots because they're so low-lying,'' she said. ``There wouldn't have been such a problem, but there was a massive amount of rain that dumped down in less than two hours.''

Parts of south Augusta received 4.3 inches of rain in less than two hours Thursday night, Ms. Tucker said. Because of an equipment failure at the National Weather Service's station in Columbia, S.C., official measurements weren't available, said weather service officials.

Of the flooded roads, only Barton Chapel Road received significant damage, Mr. Greene said. A section of the road at Glenn Hills Drive washed out and caved, he said.

The section will be closed until Thursday for repairs, Mr. Greene said.

Flooding also affected some Augustans' homes and yards. Soil and water running from a construction site nearly flooded south Augusta resident Rose Arthur's home.

``I have dirt covering up my patio, and all over my back porch,'' Mrs. Arthur said. ``If it was a half-inch higher, my den would have been flooded.''

Augustans probably need not worry about a repeat of Thursday's floods. The city has only a slight chance of receiving thunderstorms or showers tonight and Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service. The area probably won't receive any rain during daylight hours, the service reported.

Even if the city receives another heavy rain this weekend, Thursday's downpour should have soaked the earth enough to allow it to absorb water, Mr. Greene said.

Thursday's storm did not cause any flooding problems for Columbia County, said Billy Clayton, the county's water superintendent. But, it did allow county officials to lift a two-week-old outdoor burning ban, said Rusty Wade, the county's community and emergency services director.

Anyone planning to burn yard debris or other materials outside must obtain a permit from the Georgia Forestry Department at 556-3962 for residential use, or from the county's planning and zoning department at 868-3424 for commercial use.

Outdoor burning bans remain in effect for Richmond and McDuffie counties.

Staff Writer Jason B. Smith contributed to this article.