Help Needed To Clean Storm Drains

But, city officials say with the recent heavy rains, keeping up with the cleaning chore has been anything but routine. That's where help from citizens would be greatly appreciated, according to Public Works Director Derek Campbell.

A few moments spent clearing debris from the drain inlet will help the drainage system do its job when the next gully washer strikes.

"We've had some extreme storms lately that have sent all sorts of debris into the streets. That debris ends up in the gutters or ditches, and ultimately clogs our inlets," Campbell said. "The 3 to 5 inches of rain we received early last week had our crews scrambling to unclog those drains. The violent nature of last weekend's storms brought more debris and plenty of water to wash it down to the drains."

At the height of Sunday morning's storm, winds were reported in excess of 60 mph and rain was falling at a rate of 8 inches per hour.

"Those are extreme conditions that will challenge the design capacity of any drainage system," Campbell said. "We were fortunate that the intensity only lasted a brief period, or else we would have had more substantial drainage issues."

The massive onset of water caused minor street flooding in low-lying areas and briefly swelled local creeks and streams before subsiding. A check of area streets Monday morning found numerous storm drain inlets in the city clogged with tree limbs and leaves.

"We do not have enough manpower to get to every drain quickly, so we are calling on citizens to help us out," Campbell said. "If they can clean off the inlet grate nearest to their house and put the debris in their trash polykart, they will be helping their neighbors and us when the next rain hits."

Another round of storms is expected later this week.

If residents observe storm drains or other drainage structures clogged with silt or other debris beyond the inlet, they can report it to the Public Works Department at 246-2588.

City officials remind residents, it is illegal to blow leaves or grass clippings into the street, or to place debris in the gutter. Ultimately, those materials will end up at the storm drain inlet and cause a clog and potential flooding of streets and nearby homes.

A more environmentally friendly way to dispose of yard wastes is through mulching or composting. Yard wastes can also be bagged and set next to polykarts for collection by City Solid Waste Division crews. Up to eight bags can be set out each week for collection at no additional charge.

Intense storms with high winds and large amounts of rainfall are not uncommon at this time of the year. The city's worst wind storm in modern memory occurred on June 19, 1992. That storm downed 300 trees and damaged 1,500 others. A similar storm occurred June 9, 1995.