Disaster recovery teams to begin assessments of flood damaged homes

Areas of Douglas County received between 8 and 10 inches of heavy rainfall within eight hours July 31-Aug. 1, which caused widespread flooding and potentially caused damage to more than 100 homes.

If this rain had fallen over a 24-hour period, it would have been close to the 100-year rainfall event used to create Douglas County FEMA floodplain maps. Because it happened over eight hours, historical data indicates that this particular storm is similar to a 500-year flood event.

The storm was located over multiple watersheds; however, the Washington Creek watershed was where Douglas County experienced the heaviest flooding. Lone Star Lake, located on Washington Creek, rose 7 feet over six hours, peaking just after 6 a.m. Aug. 1.

According to the Topeka National Weather Service, the excessive amount of rain in a short period of time made this an unusual event. “Where the rain falls makes a difference. The rain fell on the Wakarusa River and Washington Creek watersheds, which adds to the overall flooding impact,” said Meteorologist John Woynick.

The Wakarusa River crested at 28.6 feet this week. The last time the river reached those levels were in 1988 at 28.5 feet and in 1998 at 28.2 feet. In 1951, prior to the construction of Clinton Dam, it reached a record height of 31.5 feet.

Douglas County staff along with disaster recovery teams from the Great Plains United Methodist Conference and American Red Cross will be conducting home assessments, starting Saturday, August 3. Uninsured and insured residents who have flood damage are advised to not start cleanup until an assessment has been done. The disaster response teams need to complete detailed assessments because there may be funding options to help homeowners.

Residents who have flood damaged homes should call 2-1-1 as soon as possible to make sure they are on the disaster assessment list. Additionally, residents should anticipate a letter from Douglas County Zoning and Codes concerning permits and repairs, especially within the floodplain.