After dealing with flash flooding for the second time in six weeks this morning (Aug. 26), Eureka Mayor Sean Flower said the city is getting ready for a second round of rainfall forecast for tonight.
Flower said a meeting with city first responders and officials was scheduled for 4 p.m. today to plan for more potential flooding after many in Eureka were impacted by floodwater this morning.
“We’ve got issues all over the place,” he said this afternoon. “It just seems like it never stops raining right now. I am looking at the issue pretty hard.”
Flower said he is working with city staff to get a “better handle” on flash flooding.
The flooding washed out a school day for Rockwood School District students as the district canceled classes because of flooding that created traffic backups throughout the area. Many school buses already were on the road for morning routes and had to turn around, district officials reported.
Scott Barthelmass, public information officer for the Eureka Fire Protection District, said Fox Creek Road, Central Avenue and Model Realty Road in Eureka were all affected by the flooding.
Rockwood Superintendent Mark Miles said reports of poor road conditions started coming in about 7:15 a.m.
“Normally, we have several hours in planning inclement weather,” he said during an 11 a.m. press conference. “Today, we had about 30 minutes to make a decision to promote the safety of students and staff.”
Miles said there were several places around the district with water over roadways, including I-44 and Hwy. 109.
In addition, soccer, softball and baseball fields on the south side of Eureka High School were underwater because of the flooding.
Eureka High activities director Gregg Cleveland said water did not reach the school’s athletic stadium behind the school or the parking lot.
He said a portion of the baseball field’s outfield fence will have to be replaced and a soccer goal was washed away under Hwy. 109.
Cleveland said he is working on rescheduling or moving after-school practices.
Rockwood transportation director Mike Heyman said all 148 school buses were impacted by water over roads or traffic.
“The drivers came across many different situations, depending on what part of the district they were in,” he said.
Heyman said many drivers had to pull over to high ground and wait to hear from the district about what to do.
“No buses got stuck,” he said.
Barthelmass said a barn on Fox Creek Road was swept off its foundation, and a horse was caught in the floodwater. The horse, which is named “Stormy,” was located by a Eureka firefighter and returned to its home, according to the fire district’s Facebook page.
Barthelmass said a car was swept away on Model Realty Road.
He said the radar showed Eureka received 5.9 inches of rain.