By Nathan Ritzo
Mayor James Fiorentini spent the day Monday touring the city after an estimated 8 to 10 inches of rain caused flooding in several areas. Hardest hit appeared to be sections of Riverside and Ward Hill.
Fiorentini said that the city's stormwater system was overburdened and Little River had flooded, as had other city waterways after three days of wind and rain that started late Saturday and continued into Monday night.
"I've seen an immense amount of water, probably about 10 inches the last time we measured (it)," he said. "It's just totally overpowered the storm system and there's basically no place for the water to go."
He said that the amount of water was too much for the system to handle, a condition known as hydraulic overload.
In some parts of the city, the stormwater and sewer systems are intermingled, causing sewers to back up when they become inundated with stormwater. As a result, toilets back up and plumbing becomes damaged.
"We had 100 calls (Sunday), probably another 50 or 60 (Monday)," he said. "This is all over the city (but) the worst trouble appears to be on Riverdale Terrace and Rainbow Drive" in the Ward Hill section of the city.
"Many of the people are very upset, screaming, yelling, and some are very good and understand that when you have a storm like this, it's going to overpower the sewer system," he said. He added that the Fire Department would help people with pumping their basements if need be, but then asked for everyone's patience. "We'll do whatever we can to help," he said.
Fiorentini said crews descended on the Riverdale Terrace and Rainbow Drive neighborhoods on Monday but had trouble finding a place to pump the water.
In the Riverside area, the Sabatino and Legere families said their flooded basements can't be blamed on the city sewer system because they aren't tied in. Rather, they blame a lax storm drain maintenance schedule by the city, coupled with debris being tossed into a brook behind their homes. Wendi Sabatino grew up on Gary Avenue, in the house currently owned by Doug Legere and his family. Now, she lives next door, at 75 Gary Ave.
"I can remember my parents losing so many precious memories and valuable items over the years due to flooding in the basement. I can't begin to tell you how many times we've cried over ruined things that meant so much, yet we had only so much room to store our things and had to utilize what room we had and pray that we wouldn't take on water, yet again," she said.
On Monday morning, Joel Sabatino pumped water out of their basement and complained about construction debris clogging a stream behind their home, obstructing its flow.
Gary Avenue is off East Broadway, near Marina Drive and Old Ferry Road.
Doug Legere had three hoses pumping water from his basement on Monday morning. There is no catch basin between his and the Sabatino's homes on the low portion of the street, Legere said.
Legere said he plans to contact the City Council about the problem.
Legere said storm drains were made out of brick on Gary Avenue, which is not on the city's water system and dependent on leechfields and septic tanks.
"It's from 1969 and it just doesn't take any of the water," said Legere, adding that roots can grow through the bricks, exacerbating the problem. Department of Public Works Director Mike Stankovich said he doesn't believe the Gary Avenue problems are caused by the city.
"I think really the concern is the wetlands area and the houses abutting the wetlands themselves. Obviously that's what we see there," he said.
Stankovich said the DPW performed maintenance on the stormwater system last year.¬
