The photo above shows flooding in Schwartzkopf Park this weekend. According to county officials, damage county-wide was minimal, and the Union County Emergency Management Agency received not requests for assistance.
(Photo submitted)
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Heavy rains battered Union County this weekend, but according to officials, the area got through it with only minor inconveniences.
Union County Engineer Jeff Stauch said the county had a “couple dozen” roads that needed temporary signage for drivers. He said there are no roads that were closed for an extended period of time, but noted crews were switching signs between roads as needed.
Stauch said most of the major rainfall was focused on the center third section of the county, with less rain in the northern portion of the county. He said there was “no substantial damage” reported.
“We just have some berms to repair,” he said.
Roads that were closed for a time include Middleberg-Plain City Road, Grindell Road, Yearslay Road, Hopewell Road, Springdale Road, Kinney Pike, Wheeler-Green Road, Leeper Perkins Road, Bethlehem Claibourne Road and Pine Lane. All roads are now open, though Collins Road still has some water that hasn’t receded.
Brad Gilbert, director of the Union County Emergency Management Agency, mirrored Stauch’s comments. In an email to the Journal-Tribune, he said the EMA had no requests for assistance this weekend.
Gilbert did note that some roads and properties saw flash flooding, and some areas of the county got up to four inches of rain.
According to Sheriff’s Office reports, there was one case of deputies and the Liberty Township Fire Department rescuing a driver on Wheeler Green Road Sunday. Gilbert reminded drivers not to drive through flooded roads.
“Turn around, don’t drown,” he said.
The Sheriff’s Office could be reached for more information by press time.
Additionally, Stauch said crews did come across problems with some of the watersheds in the county. He said areas like the Big Darby watershed in the southern portion of the county ended up flooding after other areas subsided. It also didn’t help that the rains came in short, “fairly intense” bursts.
“It’s kind of a delayed reaction,” he said.
According to Stauch, the flooding was, overall, minor. He said crews should have all affected roads opened by today.
“I think we got through it okay,” he said. “Hopefully (the weather) dries out this week.”