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River not giving up; moves sandbags
Published Thursday, April 24, 2008
VIDALIA — When employees at Riverpark Medical Center arrived for work Wednesday morning, they were greeted with the sight of City of Vidalia workers working furiously to pump what appeared to be a small lake back into the Mississippi River.
At some point during the early morning hours Wednesday, the pressure from the Mississippi River actually moved sandbags placed over the drains on the riverfront. The sandbags were placed on the drains several weeks ago to keep the Mississippi River water from backing into the street.
“The sandbags started floating when the pressure from the river pushed them up,” Vidalia Street Department Superintendent Lee Staggs said. “The pressure on the drainage is so great because we’re holding back about four feet of pressure.”
At that same time, one of the pumps that has been removing seepage water from Front Street had stopped working, so the water just kept pooling.
The water spread, but it didn’t get much deeper than the street, Riverpark Medical Center Chief Financial Officer Marci McGraw said.
“It was a little deeper than we were used to seeing it, and it came up further than it had ever been, but it wasn’t bad,” McGraw said. “A few people were intimidated by it, but no cars had problems (getting to the Riverpark parking lot).”
When Staggs arrived on the scene at 5:30 a.m., he located the problem and moved a couple of the pumps around to begin the removal of the water.
By midday, the lake was largely gone and the seepage water standing in the streets was at its pre-sandbag breach levels.
“You can never predict what the river is going to do,” Staggs said.
The river began its crest Tuesday, and is expected to stand at approximately 56.9 feet until Monday, at which time the National Weather Service has predicted it will fall to approximately 56.8 feet.
Comments
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 3:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Until it falls below flood stage we are going to continue to have problems. I just wish my truck ran on river water. The price of gas is killing me.
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 4:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think it was the ghosts of those that have died in the river that moved the sandbags.
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 4:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There's a reason why Vidalia was moved in 1937, you think?
Posted by shedevil (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 5:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i think it was the ghost too...it was a scarey looking fog in the area yesterday morning
Posted by flylo (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 6:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
good point NtzMom.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 6:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe it was the high prices at Tillman General sucking them up.
Posted by beammeupscotty (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is also election time so all the hot air might have lifted them up into the air.
Posted by cjc3 (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I just read a report from the National Weather Service that said the river was at 57' at 8pm Wednesday. Is this a misprint or is the river still rising?
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Man, in all his intelligence, can't control nature. Water, fire, etc., they do as they please, man can only try to contain it. Hopefully, it won't get any worse and it will start to receed.
Posted by vilou09 (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks for the laughs [beammeupscotty]. Just what I needed this morning :)
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I walked again yesterday to both Roth Hill and also where Magnolia Vale is and it is up from when I was there Monday! The road to Magnolia Vale is almost under water (the drive when the road levels off). They have an adorable guest house before the home itself that they were trying to run as a B&B and the water under that little house looks like a river.
Posted by lad123 (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Who is to be held responsible for the water drainage system not working properly. Was this not tested at the tme of installation. It seems to be that the riverfront was just thrown together without the thought of maybe a FLOOD. It was stated in an earlier article that the riverfront was built on a 500 year flood plan, someone did not read that plan correctly. And it is funny to think that the STREET department placed sandbags over the drainage holes to keep water out, how stupid was this. The force of the water it not stopped by man's ignorance alone. Next time think before you build, and they may still come!
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on April 24, 2008 at 9 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess the last 500 year flood was in 1508, so Tillman General should be ok until 2508 A.D.
Posted by frogprincenessntz (anonymous) on April 25, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
There is seepage water all the way to Camellia Street across from Vidalia Market. It is all around Young's. Could be urban legends, but I heard that a dog on that street and another on Nichols Drive had been bitten by water moccasins, and a den of snakes had been found under a house on Camellia. That does make me nervous. I live about 5 miles west of there but close enough to the levees that I was spooked when I saw the neighbors dogs jumping like they do over a snake. i took my trusty hoe out but it was a dinner-plate size turtle. Guess all the animals are looking for a new home.
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