East Ridge Trying To Get Levee, Again

It's not snow but flash flooding that's on the minds of East Ridge city leaders Thursday night. They are taking the first steps to get some relief from a problem that swamps the city when heavy rain falls.

When parts of East Ridge flooded back in the fall it brought back some bitter memories. People remembered how the city had the chance to get a levee built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers back in the 1990's but let it slip away.

Now it turns out the opportunity is still there.

"We had thought that the project was pretty much dead, or gone under the federal rules," according to East Ridge City manager William Whitson.

But federal rules are confusing, while federal action is slow. And that's especially hard on people who live in East Ridge, who every few years have to be evacuated from their flooded homes.

Engineers know what the problem is - homes were built decades ago where they really shouldn't have been built. The best solution now appears to be building a levy but that costs millions of dollars.

The Army Corps of Engineers would handle such a project, but being a federal agency they require exhaustive and costly studies. Back in the 90's city leaders didn't want to spend the time or money on them, but they've just learned opportunity is not lost.

"The levee would be mostly on the Spring Creek area of the city," Whitson said. "But again the study needs to be updated and there's a lot of data that's changed and they would have to look at the hydrology."

East Ridge City Councilman Denny Manning said "I don't want to go swimming no more after I lost everything I've owned."

Manning is among hundreds who were hit hard during the September flood. His house was destroyed and he's still rebuilding and living away from home. Manning and other councilmen gave their full support to send a letter of intent to the Army Corps of Engineers to get the studies and funding processes going again.

"We've been trying to get them to do something for a long time, I've been there 50-something years over there trying to get them to do it and they'll say maybe next year, or that year so it's time for something to be done."