The Woodward News

Local News

April 28, 2009

Storms leave some damage

Woodward County Commissioners at their Monday meeting said the weekend’s storms caused roads to be closed because of washed out bridges and culverts.

One of the roads was the Sharon-Shattuck Road.

Commissioner Ted Craighead said a concrete culvert had washed out on that route two and a third miles east of Sharon.

In addition, a bridge was broken out on North-South 210, he said.

Commissioner Ralph Triplett Jr. and Commissioner Vernie Matt both said they had received about three inches of rain in their areas Saturday night and Sunday.

County and City Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer told commissioners state officials would “hold off” on damage assessments caused by the storm until the middle of next week.

“Any major damage needs to be reported, however,” Lehenbauer said.

He said in Woodward, businesses on Main Street suffered damage caused by flooding during the storms.

In a phone interview following the meeting, Lehenbauer said, “We’re holding off on doing any residential flooding assessments because more rain is coming.”

Lehenbauer said most of the flooding over the weekend in Woodward occurred in the Williams Avenue and Downs Avenue areas and between 21st Street to 26th Street east and west and from Madison Avenue to Cedar Avenue north and south.

“Businesses also suffered damage along the entire length of Main Street, reporting about a half inch of water in the buildings,” he said. “Razien Metals reported several inches inside their building. The water was just high and it came in the door.”

To get water flowing again in storm drains and sewers, city employees are clearing debris from those areas, Lehenbauer said, noting about two inches of rain fell in an hour, which causes storm drains to clog up.

For people who are interested, the American Red Cross has small flood cleanup kits, he said.

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