PEA RIDGE — Roads in the Pea Ridge area were deemed impassable by authorities by 2:30 p.m. on Monday, but the rain had not let up for the fifth day in a row.
Flooding was consuming the city and county.
Pea Ridge city engineer M.J.
Hensley said he measured 5 inches of rain Monday morning. By 3:30 p.m., the total was 7.5 inches and the rain was still coming down.
“This amount of rain will bring the flooding to well over the 100-year flood stage,” he said.
Hensley said within the firsthour of a storm, 40 percent of the precipitation amount will be absorbed into the soil, with the right vegetation. With no vegetation, only 10 percent is absorbed.
Last year’s projects to improve drainage in city limits were functioning well, including the box culvert constructed on Davis Street, and new drainage pipes installed under Mc-Culloch Street.
However, in other areas of the city, water consumed the roadways and residents’ yards - even homes.
One resident in Givens Subdivisions suffered severe water damage to her home.
“When the water was coming in, when you realize you’re fighting and fighting and then you realize it beat you, it’s prettyoverwhelming, a feeling of hopelessness,” she said.
“This is something we haven’t seen here in a number of years,” said Pea Ridge Mayor Jackie Crabtree.
Pea Ridge Police Chief Tim Ledbetter said there were no injuries reported resulting from the flooding.
“We, along with the street department and other city employees, tried to check as many streets as we could, the only major problem was on Sugar Creek Road. It was blocked off until it had time to recede,” he said.
“Right now, the bridge on the golf course is the most extensive damage,” Crabtree added, referring to Peck Road at Sugar Creek.
The Pea Ridge street and water department employees worked to inform residents living on Peck Road when authorities decided the road should be closed.
“We try to look at all the things that can happen and get things worked out, even though it doesn’t always happen that way,” Crabtree said.
The street department will put steel plates along the damaged bridge to make it a one-lane bridge passable to residents until it is repaired.
Crabtree said there have been no water line breaks, though one line was exposed when the road washed away under the bridge.
Otherwise, he said there is no other major road damage he’s aware of.
“We’ve had a couple issues with people calling with water in their backyard and around their houses. Those are things we’re going to have to deal with drainage of this much water coming in,” he said.
Hensley said there are still drainage ditches that need to be constructed throughout the city, especially in Givens. However, the city must obtain permission from adjacent landowners to drain the water in their direction, which so far has not been granted.
For those who are uninsured or underinsured with damage due to recent storms, Crabtree advises to call the County Emergency Management office at 271-1004, where they are keeping track of damage in an attempt to receive federal relief funds.
News, Pages 1 on 04/27/2011