Flooding shuts down roads, all but one re-opened
Published 5:09 pm Monday, May 2, 2016
On the rise: A swollen Goose Pond Creek flows under Highway 31 in Clanton just feet away from the surface of the road as a result of heavy rain in Clanton on Sunday. (Photos by Bryan Kelley)
Heavy flooding Sunday caused problems with roads across Chilton County—but no known injuries.
All roads except one had re-opened as of Monday afternoon.
Clanton Mayor Billy Joe Driver said County Road 18 West, off Hinkle Road near West End Baptist Church, remains closed but will be addressed Tuesday morning.
Several roads were deemed impassable Sunday as a large amount of rain fell in a time period of about an hour and a half.
Even main thoroughfares like Highway 31 through downtown Clanton were affected. The highway was impassable between Second Avenue and Third Avenue for about an hour as water drained away.
“Within 30 minutes after it quit raining, it was all gone,” Driver said.
Kevin Laws with the National Weather Service said close to 4 inches of rain fell in less than two hours in some parts of Chilton County.
“We’ve had more, but not often,” Laws said about the rainfall amount. “Flooding is all about duration. You can get heavy rain in a short period of time or you can get moderate rain over a long period of time.”
Standing water: Much of Clanton City Park was underwater on Sunday during the heaviest rain.
Sunday’s rainfall was short in duration. If heavy rains continue for an extended period of time, larger issues can stem from dam spillways not being able to handle the extra water.
“The water just doesn’t have anywhere to go,” Laws said.
As is the case with thunderstorms, the rain over the weekend was also variable, meaning the amount was inconsistent across the county. Some areas had more than others.
Laws said he was glad to see there were no instances of motorists being swept away by flood waters.
“Never, ever cross a flooded roadway,” Laws reminded residents. “Tires are filled with air and want to float. Once you lose contact with the road, it’s over. It only takes 6 inches (of water over a roadway).”
County Engineer Tony Wearren said all roads in his jurisdiction were open as of Monday afternoon—though several remain in poor condition.
“A lot of the dirt roads are what is going to be in bad shape,” Wearren said. “They just wash away. Some are still extremely rough and had deep-cut ruts. We have crews trying to get to them and make them at least accessible for school buses.”
Creeks rose to flow over several smaller bridges in the county, Wearren said, but inspections revealed no structural damage.
Other roblem areas include Airport Road, Pinedale Road, Jackson Avenue, Kincheon Road, Arthur Drive and Clanton City Park.
