Pounding rains take toll on county roads
Damage to county roads from the recent string of storms could run into the tens of thousands of dollars as damage estimates are still under way in hopes federal funds will be available to fix the destruction.
“We’ve had a lot of washouts,” said Levie Glenn of the Warren County Highway Department. “This is one of the biggest rains we’ve had in 15 or 20 years.”
A total of 10.14 inches of rain have been recorded this week at McMinnville Water Plant, which is the official keeper of precipitation records for this area.
Glenn said a lot of the problems came as the result of a combination of destructive winds and heavy rains. Specifically, Glenn noted the high winds toppled limbs and other debris which were later swept away by heavy rains. The debris then, in turn, became trapped in storm drains and under road tiles, stopping up the drainage mechanisms, causing the water to rush over roads and bridges.
“We had several trees and limbs down during the storm which blocked roads,” Glenn said. “I’d say in all we had anywhere from 12 to 15 trees across roads at different locations in the county.”
The overrunning of roads by the water is what has led to a lot of the damage as blacktop, gravel road shoulders and some bridge abutments have been washed out.
“I’m afraid, once the water recedes, we’re going to see some damage to bridge structures,” Glenn said. “We’ve already seen areas, like those around Old Smithville Road where the water has receded and we have road damage.”
Glenn said a partial list of road washouts, which is far from complete at this point, includes areas of Red Road, Turner Bend, Ivy Bluff, Francis Ferry and Sullivan Road. Several roads also remained closed Thursday since they were not safely crossable by vehicle. Glenn said the department has put up as many signs as possible to warn motorists of high water. However, given the fact there are only so many signs to go around and given the forecast for more rain, Glenn is urging motorists to use caution, especially at night.
“We want people to use good judgment when driving,” Glenn said. “We’re doing all we can to put up warning signs, but sometimes the water can come up quick so we want people to use extra care.”
As of Thursday, Glenn said all of the areas historically known for flooding were affected by this week’s storms. Hardest hit were the areas of Centertown and Irving College.
Glenn said estimates are being generated as to the damage price tag as he hopes federal disaster assistance will be afforded to this area to help offset the repair costs.