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Toledo Talk   (musing about Lake Erie West and beyond)
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Heavy rain and the usual street flooding - June 2008

After a period of torrential rain, the usual roads flooded near our home in West Toledo. Photos were taken approximately between 7:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m., June 25, 2008.

Douglas Rd between Carlita's Mexican-Italian restaurant and the Sunoco gas station at Douglas and Laskey. I saw a homeowner dump buckets of water out a side door.


Sylvania Ave at Buell Rd near DeVeaux Jr. High School. The race is on.


Sylvania Ave at Drummond Rd next to the little shopping plaza with the Family Dollar store, Auto Zone, and the new Fresh Market produce store.


Side streets.

Elmhurst Road just north of the intersection with Eastbrook and one block from Sylvania Ave.


Castleton Ave and Garrison Rd flooded by Elmhurst Elementary. Looks idyllic. I don't know if this is "usual" because I've not noticed it flooded before. Doesn't mean it hasn't flooded during other heavy rainstorms. Two boys on bicycles tried to ride through the water. One wiped out and got drenched. He said to his buddy, "Dude, what am I going to tell my Mom?"


More photos, radar images, and a precipitation analysis at flickr.com.

I wish I had a rain gauge installed in our yard. Just guessing, I'd say at least an inch of rain fell in West Toledo, which does not seem like enough to cause this much street flooding.

It rained some in the Toledo area earlier in the day on June 25, 2008. Here are rainfall totals for June 25, 2008 as reported by private weather stations at Wunderground.com :

Precip at area airports for June 25, 2008 :


Past Toledo Talk threads :

In 2006, we had at least three gully washers that produced street flooding in Toledo. I only remember one toad strangler in 2007.

created by jr on Jun 25, 2008 at 09:52:59 pm
updated by jr on Jun 26, 2008 at 01:27:30 pm     Comments: 9

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Comments ... #

Lewis Avenue just north of Laskey was flooded, too. I don't think it has curbs or storm sewers there. That part of Lewis has the appearance of the post World War II era.

posted by flinty on Jun 26, 2008 at 11:05:19 am     #



This afternoon, a storm dumped heavy rain and some hail in southern and eastern Lucas County and northern Wood County.

The Skywarn network is busy. Some reports between 4:25 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. :

  • Curb-to-curb flooding on Broadway by the Toledo Zoo
  • Curb-to-curb flooding on Broadway by Walbridge Park, along with two-inch branches snapped off.
  • Curb-to-curb flooding on Broadway at Prowdy? [spelling]
  • Anthony Wayne Trail at Copeland, three outbound lanes are flooded.
  • At Dorr and Detroit, all four lanes of Dorr are flooded curb-to-curb.
  • In Maumee at Michigan and Crystal [?spelling] roads, ponding of water, two to four-inch limbs down.
  • Washington Towhship and I-75, wind gust of 48 mph.
  • 45 mph wind gust in Oregon along with near zero visibility.
  • Most wind gusts being reported range from 40 to 45 mph.
  • Report from Oregon said 1.5 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes.
  • Pea-sized hail in Oregon.
  • 44 mph wind gust and nickel-sized hail on Tracy Road. Not sure where exactly.
  • Channel 13 transmitter in Oregon on backup power.
  • Near zero visibility reported as storm crossed Oregon Road by Ownes Community College.
  • Interesting skywarn report said an Owens Corning building had water on the first floor, likely due to wind blowing rain into building through door.
  • Measured 61 mph wind gust in Attica, Ohio in Seneca County.
  • Two three-foot in diameter live trees down in Attica.
  • At 1343 Miami Street, large billboard toppled over, two cars damaged.
  • Also on Miami Street near I-75 exit, curb-to-curb flooding, water 12-18 inches deep.

Anthon

posted by jr on Jun 26, 2008 at 05:21:20 pm     #



They're man made rivers posing as streets. Urban planning with a devilish grin or a slight lack of competency.

Wait this burg was a swamp at one time? Pave that shhhhhhhhhhiip.

posted by charlatan on Jun 28, 2008 at 12:33:39 pm     #



As more and more land gets paved over flooding will correspondingly worsen. There is less land able to soak up the water. Sewers are far behind the pace in the ability to handle the runoff. Tha's why you are starting to hear about "rain gardens" and permeable pavement for parking lots.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permeable_paving

posted by holland on Jun 28, 2008 at 10:22:39 pm     #



From the "Councilman Tom Waniewski Newsletter - July 2008" with my emphasis added :

Well the floods came again, and boy did I hear about it! I've talked with the mayor's office about this. Particularly I mentioned Drummond (pictured), Clover Lane, Elmhurst, Douglas, Buell, Castleton and Garrison. The city has no money I'm told. Nonetheless, I'm scheduling a meeting with the mayor's staff to try to get more attention to these areas. In the meantime, please check your streets to make sure that all storm water grates are clear of any debris.

Speaking of flooding, the city is working with federal regulators to review new flood control regulations. There will be public hearings, and I'll keep you posted on where and when they are. Being tossed into a high flood plane can add quite a bit to your house insurance bill, so I want to make sure those regulations are fair.

These areas flooded multiple times in 2006, at least once in 2007, and now once or twice thus far in 2008. And no money has been available for the past three budgets to resolve the problem. I bet if Waniewski asked the mayor for a bike path, money for such a project would be made available.

From two years ago, June 16, 2006 Blade story :

Yesterday's council committee meeting originally was to consider an ordinance to spend $800,000 on two bike paths - the South Toledo route and a shorter path in Point Place.

The South Toledo bike path did not happen. One was constructed, however, in East Toledo, and I believe a bike path is being built now in Point Place. Anyway, Toledo had $800,000 for bike paths two years ago.

posted by jr on Jul 01, 2008 at 12:55:31 pm     #



"The city has no money I'm told."

I think the City of Toledo is still considering the idea of using taxpayer money to pay COSI's bills until November when or if another COSI levy is on the ballot.

June 24, 2008 Toledo Blade story :

Amending the lease prevents that from happening until November but requires the city to make the utility payments and absorb the building's insurance costs. The city will have to pay an average of about $6,900 a month for utilities and a security system in the COSI building, said Adam Loukx, Toledo's law director. Mr. Loukx said the city would have to pay for the utilities and security even without the amended lease because it is a city-owned property.

If the City has no money, why is this COSI idea even mentioned?


Back in January, Toledo City Council voted to use taxpayer dollars to fund the Erie Street Market for four more months. And then in May, Toledo City Council voted to fund the Erie Street Market for the rest of 2008. Waniewski voted FOR funding the Erie Street Market both times.

But the City has no money. Good thing the City of Toledo is continuing the illegal city tax (trash fee) for a second year.

posted by jr on Jul 01, 2008 at 01:22:39 pm     #



July 2, 2008 Toledo Blade story :

Council voted 9-3 in favor of a request from the Finkbeiner administration to approve an amended lease between the city and the Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission, which contracted with COSI to be located in the city-owned riverfront building. Councilman George Sarantou said he supported the measure because the city is responsible for about $6,900 a month to pay for utilities and a security system in the building regardless of COSI's troubles. Councilmen Frank Szollosi, Tom Waniewski, and D. Michael Collins voted no.

"The city has no money I'm told."

Council yesterday voted 6-6 on a proposal from Councilman Joe McNamara to obey a May 30 order from the Toledo Municipal Court judges to fund drug testing of accused criminal offenders. The measure was to allocate $45,000. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner may break the tie at council's next regular meeting in two weeks.

"The city has no money I'm told."

In other business, council: Approved spending $15,000 to have The Docks restaurant complex at International Park in East Toledo assessed.

"The city has no money I'm told."


July 2, 2008 WSPD story about last night's Toledo City Council meeting :

VIVA South Toledo now owns the former south branch library. Council Tuesday agreed to sell the property on Broadway for 10-thousand dollars so the Latino group can establish a credit union. Toledo Police also will relocate a field office to the location.

June 26, 2008 Thurber's Thoughts blog posting about this proposed "sale" :

According to the County Auditor's website, the current value of this property is $213,500. Why is the city selling this property for less than 5% of its stated value???? City elected officials are supposed to be the custodians of our tax dollars and our public assets. That means they don't make sweetheart deals with special interest groups for their own personal reasons. In today's market, this property may not truly be worth $213,500. But I can assure you it's worth more than the $10,000 proposed sale price.

"The city has no money I'm told." - District 5 Toledo City Councilman Tom Waniewski in his July 2008 newsletter


From the Lucas County AREIS Web site about the former South Branch Library property :

Zoning Description: Storefront Commercial
Owner : TOLEDO CITY OF , A MUNICIP AL CORP
Address : 1638 BROADWAY ST TOLEDO OH 43609

Summary - Taxes & Values

100% Values
Land : 8,900
Building : 204,600
Total : 213,500

Last Val. Chg. : 11/15/2006

1st Half2nd Half
Homestead Red. :0.000.00
Net General :2,801.575,603.14
Net Specials :0.000.00
Tax Due :8,296.9711,098.54
Collected :0.000.00
Unpaid :8,296.9711,098.54

posted by jr on Jul 02, 2008 at 01:36:17 pm     #



More heavy rains this evening, and the street flooding in West Toledo appears worse than last week. I made a quick drive around the neighborhood between 10:05 and 10:20 p.m. I kept my distance, however, at the flooded areas at Sylvania Ave and Buell Rd and on Douglas near Carlita's restaurant. I got close-up looks at the other areas. Too close on Garrison. Made a quick turn from another side street and didn't see the water until it was wooshing up the side of the car.

The water at Sylvania and Drummond is over the curb, over the sidewalk, and into the Autozone parking lot some. The flooding at Elmhurst and Eastbrook and on Castleton by Elmhurst Elementary covers a larger area than last week. And I ran into flooding in two areas on nearby Garrison, which is another side street.

Nobody tonight was driving through the flooding at Sylvania and Drummond. All traffic was routing through the Autozone/Fresh Market/Family Dollar parking lot, which itself contained a small pond in one area that both "lanes" of traffic were dodging. Makes for interesting driving at night.

A Skywarn observer reported street flooding in numerous spots on Summit Street between Point Place and I-280.


National Weather Service as of 10:22 PM EDT on July 02, 2008

The urban and small stream flood advisory remains in effect until
100 am EDT for Lucas and northern wood counties...

At 1022 PM EDT Doppler was showing some showers and thunderstorms
but they were weakening.

Additional rainfall amounts of half an inch or less is possible in
the advisory area. Some locations in Lucas County received around 2
inches of rain this evening and near Sylvania over 2.5 inches of
rain was reported in a few hours. As of 10 PM the Toledo Express
Airport had around an inch and a half of rain.


Moderate to heavy rain falling again in West Toledo at 10:50 p.m. All this rain keeps the flowers and lawn looking good.

posted by jr on Jul 02, 2008 at 10:55:46 pm     #



Once again, very heavy rains rolled through the Toledo area. Today's mid-afternoon storms caused some street flooding in the usual West Toledo spots.

Castleton Ave by Elmhurst Elementary

Sylvania Ave and Drummond by the Auto Zone store.

Other nearby side streets like Garrison and Elmhurst had curb-to-curb flooding, but none of it seemed as bad as the previous two weeks, but it's still raining some.

posted by jr on Jul 08, 2008 at 03:50:27 pm     #