Columbia officials are checking downtown drainage, including using cameras on sewer lines, after a Friday downpour again caused flooding.
They met Monday to form plans, and Mayor Justin McKenzie said Main Street had been draining well for several years before inundating twice in a little over a month.
“We’re going to see if there are any obstructions in the lines,” he said. “We will try to make changes and corrections if there are obstructions. We are also working to streamline the response between the police department, fire department and street department.”
As thunderstorms swept through Marion County Friday, the amount of rain varied widely from place to place, according to Marion County Emergency Management Director Aaron Greer. In the city at the Civil Defense Office, 0.52 inches fell Friday, but Greer said the amount could have been different just yards away in downtown Columbia.
“It could have rained more than showed on our rain gauge at the office,” he said. “We had reports of more than two inches as close as Foxworth.”
Whatever the total, water rose quickly in downtown Columbia causing problems for motorists in several locations.
“We are going to use a camera to inspect the sewer lines,” McKenzie said. “City crews will also be checking the drains that we have access to.”
Downtown merchants were concerned that police were unavailable to help shut down Main Street at Second Street to keep motorists from driving through the rising floodwaters.
“We had two wrecks, flooding, and stalled out cars in the water on High School Avenue,” McKenzie said. “Our officers were tied up on calls. We’re trying to get a response plan in place so we can get barricades out quicker. We want to deploy barricades to prevent damage to our businesses and offices downtown.”
Pictured Above: Floodwaters rose quickly on Main and Second streets Friday, and city officials say they’re concerned. Storm drains are being checked for blockage or damage. | Photo by Mark Rogers
