Flooding again hits Martinez

Thursday downpours leave area in Columbia County under water for second time in a month

Web posted August 4, 2000

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By Preston Sparks
Columbia County Bureau

It was deja vu all over again for Albert Grissam and his family.

On Thursday night, heavy rains hit the Martinez area, flooding at least two homes, roads and several parking lots.

``This is the second time in a month,'' Mr. Grissam said, watching an enormous puddle of water that just minutes before he battled with at his front door.

``. . . This is the third time this year. I'm fed up. We're just trying to move and get out of here now.''

Pam Tucker, Columbia County's Emergency Management Agency director, said the flooding was concentrated in the Martinez area and began at about 9:30 p.m. She said the roads flooded were Hillside Drive, Oakley Pirkle Road, Kensington Street and Sandlewood Drive in Springlakes subdivision, where one car was left abandoned in the water.

Mrs. Tucker said water was up to the doors of cars in the parking lot at Ryan's Steakhouse on Bobby Jones Expressway. A roads and bridges crew was sent to Reed Creek for flooding.

Sheriff's Capt. Rick Whitaker said there were reports of flooding in the parking lot of Monterrey's Restaurant on Washington Road. Flooding also was reported at a Hillside Court residence near Interstate 20.

Mrs. Tucker said the flooding was the result of a week of rain - she estimated Columbia County has received 4 inches this week.

``We were just so saturated,'' she said. ``We hadn't had that much rain, but the ground was already soaked. .ƒ.ƒ. This week, just about every weekend we've had good soaking rains.''

The National Weather Service estimated a little more than an inch of rain fell on Columbia County Thursday night. Nearly an inch of rain was recorded at Daniel Field and just 0.15 inch was marked at Bush Field. Aiken County got about an inch.

This week's daily storms have been caused by a tropical air mass moving from the Gulf of Mexico up the East Coast, according to a spokesman for the National Weather Service in Columbia.

Today's forecast calls for more of the same, with a 50 percent chance of rain and highs in the upper 80s. Skies should begin clearing Saturday, with only a slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms by Sunday.

On Thursday night, Mrs. Tucker said she hoped the flooding wouldn't get worse.

``It's not as bad as it was June 20,'' she said, referring to the county's most recent flood, which damaged homes and businesses.

Mrs. Tucker said Thursday's rain came at probably the worst time.

``This didn't give people time to deal with what they already were dealing with recently,'' she said. ``And of course, this didn't give engineers time to get the improvements in. So, this was really bad.''

Mr. Grissam was one of those people.

``We've been like this for a month,'' he said, pointing to his floor where his carpet was ripped up from the June flood. ``And now this.''

Reach Preston Sparks at (706) 868-1222, Ext. 110.