Concerns for flooding continue in one neighborhood
Published 7:52 am Wednesday, September 1, 2021
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
EJ Williams/Orange Leader
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By Dawn Burleigh
A neighborhood is growing more concerned with each raindrop if this storm will be the one to breach their homes as the city continues to search for answers as to why the waters are not properly draining.
Before Hurricane Ida struck the coast, rains here were causing a neighborhood to wonder if this was the premature affects of the storm.
“I have invited the men [city employees] to come inside and see what I am trying to explain,” Blora Williams said. “I flush the toilet and it comes up over the rim.”
The toilet not flushing as well as the roads covered with water has Williams concerned for her safety if she needed to call 9-1-1.
“I am afraid I will become trapped in my home and won’t be able to get out,” Williams said. “It is hard to call 9-1-1. You can’t reach anyone. I am on the phone with 2-1-1 right now.”
At that point, the rain had fallen for 20 minutes.
Orange Director of Public Works Jim Wolf said the city is continuing to work on the issue related to drainage blockages.
“We will be jet rodding the underground stormwater pipes this week in an effort to unplug any obstructions,” Wolf said in an email concerning the situation.
Hydro jetting, or jet rodding, utilizes the power of hot, high-pressure water to clear obstructions and clean the pipe. A cleaning head attached to a water line is threaded into the pipe. The head features apertures that emit high-pressure jets of hot water at up to 4,500 p.s.i. injected into the line by an external pump. The force of the water obliterates the clog and flushes it away without damaging the pipe. The pressurized, heated water also dissolves sludge and grease that trigger clogs.
This is the second time in recent weeks that the city was called to the same area due to street flooding.
