West Memphis satisfied with wet week

West Memphis satisfied with wet week

City successfully handles ten inches of rain

news@theeveningtimes.com

Ten inches of rain fell in one week and it ran off like water from a duck’s back in the City of West Memphis.

Shedding rainwater came up as city leaders met before the city council meeting Thursday afternoon.

“We had one complaint of water in two houses,” said Mayor Bill Johnson. “I was pleased given our circumstances.”

City Engineer Phillip Sorrell concurred and recapped the rainwater runoff regimen noting the much improved results in the Westwood Acres subdivision.

“I though it went very well, given we had one rainfall of 6.47 inches,” said Sorrell. “We worked round the clock once the rain started. I’ve never seen Westwood Acres perform so well. We didn’t even have street problems reported over there. We had some street flooding when we had the intense downpour but it never approached any houses.”

The city benefited from the excavation of two basins on the south side of the subdivision and both sides of a city pump house.

Cargill needed fill dirt for its new riverside granary and paid to dig the basins moving 450 thousand cubic yards to the plant on South Loop Road. They left the dry basins to the city and the empty reservoir stood ready to receive the runoff when the series of storms passed through.

“That pond that Cargill put in there really, really made a difference,” said Mayor Johnson.

Paul Holloway at the water treatment plant saw a difference too. In a separate interview the sewer Treatment Plant Manager gave a good report.

Dr. Seuss Reads Across America at Wonder Elementary

Mrs. Turner's 2nd grade class at Wonder Elementary gets involved with Dr. Seuss’ Read Across America. Read Across America is a nationwide reading celebration that takes place annually. See more Wonder photos on page 3. “If this had happened before the basins were dug, we would have been in the Westwood neighborhood in boats trying to help people,” said Holloway.

The basins even had room to spare.

“We could have taken more water in that immediate area,” said Sorrell said of the new pits.

With no residual street flooding to report from the traditional trouble spot on the southwest side of the city, officials noted some street flooding elsewhere.

“We had to put up some barricades in the streets in some of the other usual spots,” said Sorrell. “We hand some street flooding on East Barton and Mc-Cauley. We had some pretty fierce street flooding, so we were out putting up barricades all night, Clement Road, Rich Road. It got real close on southeast 21st Street.”

Councilman James Pulliaum saw some different signs in the runoff and urged city residents to help keep the city clean.

“One thing helps the rain runoff is when the trash and the clippings aren’t going down into the storm drains and in the ditch,” said Pulliaum. “Go take a look at the high water lines and that is all you sees, bottles, cans and paper. It can clog the drain flow.”

The mayor was happy with the new basins and glad that the brunt of the storm fell south of the city.

“It could have been worse here,” said Johnson. “I’m sure you’ve all seen video of Clarksdale, Mississippi.”

By John Rech