Flood damage reports reach triple digits in Fayetteville

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

Over 110 damage reports from Tuesday's flooding have been reported to city officials as local residents continued to recover from the rains that damaged a number of homes in the city.

And despite more rain later in the week, no new damage has been reported, according to officials.

Some parts of Fayetteville received three inches of rain in an eight-hour time span early Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. That created flooding which caused a number of problems and numerous calls to the Fayette County 911 system.

Residents in a few neighborhoods near Pye Lake were evacuated from their homes by emergency officials using the First Call warning system that sent a recorded telephone message warning.

At a meeting for residents whose homes were damaged Tuesday, several residents complained that it took a while before emergency crews could respond.

Jack Krakeel, Chief of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services, said emergency crews had to prioritize calls based on who reported a life-threatening emergency. Washed-out roads also caused delays in responding to some residences, Krakeel said.

The county assisted Fayetteville fire and police crews in responding to the calls.

The City of Fayetteville will provide daily curbside pick-up of flood damaged items to assist residents who were affected by the storms, said Mayor Ken Steele. The service will run Monday through Friday, ending June 27.

A number of residents from the Weatherly Walk Apartments expressed concern at the meeting that management would not quickly assess the damage at their apartments. Krakeel said he spoke to the company's management and was told they had a crew on the way to start working.

The American Red Cross was also on hand at the meeting to assist residents who needed food and shelter.

The city's Web site, www.fayetteville-ga-us.org, has a number of resources on flooding and the recovery process. To access the links, scroll down the menu at the left and click on the link for "City of Fayetteville Flood and Help Information."

Others needing to report damage from the flood are asked to call City Hall at 770-461-6029 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Those facing emergency situations should call 911, officials said.