The Columbia Board of Aldermen voted to proclaim a local emergency because of Pearl River flooding in a special meeting Monday night.
The purpose of the meeting was to take the necessary steps to request for Gov. Tate Reeves to declare a state of emergency for Marion County, which would allow for federal and state funds to help with the clean up and repairs.
All last week residents watched as the Pearl River crept up to its cresting point of 25.6 feet on Sunday, putting water into homes in low-lying areas along the river.
The areas most affected in the city limits are Horseshoe Bend Drive, Jones Lane, Washington Street and Old Foxworth Road. Some roads have parts of them eaten away by the flow, and the mayor said it remains unknown if there might be damage to sewers.
“As the water recedes, there will be a thorough assessment done throughout the impacted area. If we meet whatever that magic number is, the threshold, we may be eligible for federal government assistance,” McKenzie said.
If the city is eligible for FEMA funding, the federal government will pay 75%, MEMA will pay 12.5% and the city 12.5% of the clean up and repair costs.
Engineer Jeff Dungan cautioned the board to make sure the city has thorough records and pictures to showcase the damage from the flood.
McKenzie said some of the pumps are off because they were running around the clock trying to keep up because the manholes were inundated with water at the north lagoon. At this point, he said, they do not know if the water got higher than the control panel at the lagoon. The water was still too high to access as of press deadlines.
Michael McDaniel, who directs the city's water department, said the flood water got close but did not get into the lagoon.
McKenzie showed the board a picture of the lift station on Old Foxworth Road, and the water was over the well behind it.
Another picture showed the erosion on Old Foxworth Road near Jones Mulching. The velocity of the water caused erosion of about 1 to 2 feet on the side of the road. A little further on up the road McKenzie said the erosion has cut into the road 5 feet.
McKenzie said the road closure barricades on the north end of Old Foxworth Road were being moved closer to Jones Mulching until they have a chance to have a more thorough inspection of the road. Monday it still wasn’t passible.
McDaniel said where the culvert was on Old Foxworth Road has been washed away by the raging water. He said the whole road is washed out there, at least 6 to 8 feet under the road.
“If anyone drives across it, it is going to collapse in,” McDaniel said.
On Mississippi 587 toward Morgantown, McKenzie said someone with the Mississippi Department of Transportation attempted to stick a shovel under the highway and with the handle they never could find bottom of the hole where it had eroded.
McDaniel provided a photo of an exposed gas line, fiber line without a casing and a fiber line in a casing on Old Foxworth Road as a result of the erosion. He said there is a very strong gas smell there as well.
