Wednesday, June 18, 2003
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Wednesday, June 18, 2003 |
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Dozens of new cars, some F'ville homes damaged by Tuesday's flood By JOHN MUNFORD
Some Fayetteville residents were evacuated from their homes early Tuesday morning as flooding problems crept up around the city beginning at 3 a.m., according to emergency officials. In addition, more than two dozen new vehicles at Allan Vigil Ford dealership in the heart of the city were seen during the height of the flooding submerged up to and above their hubcaps. Damage estimates were unavailable Tuesday afternoon, pending insurance adjusters inspecting the flooded areas. Some police officers reported the water was up to their waist in some areas of town, according to Lt. Beverly Trainor of the Fayetteville Police Department. No injuries were reported, she added. An undetermined number of west city residents fled their flooded homes to the gymnasium at Fayette County High School, itself awash in some areas with flood waters. As many as a dozen homes received flood damage. The National Weather Service said different areas of Fayetteville got between one and three inches of rain between midnight and 8 a.m. June 17. Crews spent Tuesday morning conducting a hazard and damage assessment of the city, particularly areas that could possibly flood if more rain hits the area as forecast by the National Weather Service for yesterday evening and this morning. "We are advising people to evacuate immediately if they see rising water in their neighborhoods," said Sgt. Bill Rieck of the Fayetteville Fire Department. The American Red Cross is also responding to the needs of local residents who have been flooded out of their homes, according to Deputy Chief Allen McCullough of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, which has been assisting with Fayetteville city officials. Some homes on Cornwallis Way in Fayetteville suffered structural damage from the flooding, McCullough said. In some homes, the water reached four to five feet deep on the lower levels, McCullough said. Those six homes are downstream from Pye Lake, which is the biggest potential flooding area Tuesday, McCullough said. The lake is in northwestern Fayetteville off Hood Avenue. The dam for Pye Lake was inspected Tuesday and emergency officials were keeping their eyes on all the dams in the county, McCullough said. There were only minor reports of damage in the unincorporated part of the county, McCullough said, adding that most of the damage was reported in Fayetteville. One area of Peachtree City reported 1.85 inches of rain and another area got 1.45 inches during the same time frame, according to NWS meteorologists. Some of the hardest-hit areas of Fayetteville were at the far eastern city limits both north and south of Ga. Highway 54 including Autumn Glen, Cloverwood Drive, Weatherly Drive, Pine Court and Circle Drive, Rieck said. Residential areas on the north side of Ga. Highway 54 West also had flooding problems, including Cornwallis Way and Monmouth Drive, he added. Officials from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency toured the area's hardest hit locations Tuesday with local emergency responders. The "Hawk One" helicopter from the Fayette County Sheriff's Department was used to take aerial photographs of the flood damage. "We can see so much from up there," McCullough said, adding that the photos will help officials "know our trouble spots" with more rain predicted for Tuesday night. The First Call emergency alert system was used to warn residents who needed to evacuate their homes, Rieck said. The system allows emergency officials to telephone homes with a prerecorded message, which in this case advised them to evacuate and if they couldn't do so themselves to call 911, Rieck said. Fayette County High School's gym was opened as a shelter for those who had been evacuated, Rieck said. The Red Cross is working to make sure families displaced by the flood have a roof over their heads tonight, McCullough said. Emergency officials cooperated with the disaster agency to help make sure those who needed help from the Red Cross get it. Early in the morning there were also reports of vehicle flooding and basement flooding in some homes, Rieck said. The Fayetteville Police Department called in an extra shift of officers to respond to the increased amount of calls, Trainor said. Two Fayetteville patrol cars were damaged during the floods because of the quickly rising water and had to be towed away, Trainor said. Trainor advised residents to listen to television and radio weather reports and be prepared with an evacuation route should the need arise. "The water can rise rapidly, sometimes without any warning, Trainor said. "Especially in flood-prone areas." Residents who use a gas service should also check their pilot lights to make sure they haven't been extinguished by the high water, which could fill a residence with explosive natural gas. Residents whose homes have been damaged by flood should contact their insurance companies to handle the repairs, Trainor said. The flood also damaged multiple autos at Allan Vigil Ford, causing damage estimated in the thousands of dollars, according to a company official. 'It kept raining...'
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