City and county officials will soon have to decide if 12 hours of warning for a flood-prone East Columbus neighborhood is worth $70,000 over the next three years.
Columbus Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box hosted representatives from the National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey last week at city hall to discuss installing flood sensors in Magby Creek. The sensors could give residents in the Masonic neighborhood off of Tuscaloosa Road eight-12 hours of warning when waters begin to rise due to heavy rains.
This week, City Administrator David Armstrong received cost estimates from the USGS on the two recommended sensors. Purchasing the equipment and installation is estimated at $26,000 after a $10,000 grant from the USGS. Constant monitoring of the two sites for the 2010-2011 fiscal year will add another $8,000. Monitoring and maintenance will cost approximately $18,000 in each of the two following years.
Box will ask the Columbus City Council at its next meeting take on half of the price with hope the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors will pick up the other half.
“I don”t see how we can afford not to do something,” said Box. “When you stop and think about the damage that”s been done and the loss incurred, that”s really not a lot of money.”
The Columbus Public Works Department has dug extensive ditches in the Masonic neighborhood to divert water during flash floods, but prolonged heavy rains flood the neighborhood on an almost yearly basis according to Box and residents.
With the sensors in place, local emergency management officials will receive a notice from the National Weather Service in Jackson when the waters begin to rise and emergency responders will be dispatched to go door-to-door alerting residents.
Diego Velasco, a 17-year resident of Sylvan Road in the Masonic neighborhood, said flooding is a common occurrence but he”s never seen the water any deeper than 2 feet at its worst. He expressed doubts residents would heed warnings to evacuate the neighborhood in the event of a flood.
Box says he”s been “waist deep (in water) in some of the houses helping people get out before.” He believes a severe flood could pose a serious safety threat.
Velasco says the curves in the Magby Creek make it more prone to flooding. Armstrong says it would be “cheaper to buy all the homes in that neighborhood and relocate the people than to channel the water.”
The Columbus City Council will take up the matter at its Tuesday meeting.
Jason Browne was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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