City crews battling flooding from storms
Fernandina Beach city staff issued an update on flooding issues as a result of a continuous downpour from rain-filled weather systems that been unrelenting over the past three weeks.
"City staff (specifically our Stormwater Department) is working through the recent influx of drainage issues and concerns. We want to provide you with some context regarding the current situation. Our community is going through a period of extraordinary rainfall. According to the St. Johns River Water Management district for Nassau County, July rainfall was 142% of the monthly average, and August was 204% of the average for that month. That is 7.11 inches more than average in one month!!!" the city said on its Facebook page today.
"We are working to evaluate and address issues in many areas, and continue to put plans into place to make necessary infrastructure improvements. Compounding this amount of water, many of these rain events are short and intense, which can overwhelm the capacity of our drainage systems."
Interim City Manager Jeremiah Glisson said city crews were battling on two fronts. First, they were using high capacity pumps to move rainwater away from flooded zones into stormwater relief drains. Second, to keep the stormwater system draining at its intended capacity, crews were working to clear debris that was clogging the system.
"All crews are out and trying to minimize the impact of the rain. It's just not us, it's all the communities around us," Glisson said. "There are some areas you just can't do that are overwhelmed and you have to wait until it soaks into the ground. Other areas you can pump water into the system. "
Glisson estimated three inches of rain had fallen in about seven hours.
He said the city was "throwing everything we have at the flooding."
Glisson reminded property owners not to blow their yard debris out into the street in order to keep storm drains unobstructed.
People can report flooding conditions by calling (904) 310-3433 or sending an email to [email protected]
