The Franklin News-Post
P. O. Box 250
310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
540-483-5113
Fax: 540-483-8013
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Staff Photo by Morris Stephenson:
The control building at the old Pigg River power dam in Rocky Mount was threatened by flood waters pouring over the structure. |
Friday, November 13, 2009
By MORRIS STEPHENSON - Staff Writer
Remnants from Hurricane Ida moved farther north than expected, dumping more than 4 inches of rain on Franklin County.
As of Thursday morning, the Blackwater River had reached almost 15 feet, rolling at 7,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).
Officially, according to the National Weather Services' instruments in Rocky Mount, 4.10 inches of rain fell in a two-day period. At 7 a.m. Wednesday, the total was 1.75 inches. Thursday morning at 7 a.m., another 2.35 inches were recorded.
Local weather forecasters were predicting a total rainfall of between one and a half to two inches Wednesday night.
With the heavy rain Wednesday night and into the early morning hours Thursday, residents also experienced high winds. Gusts up to 35 miles per hour were predicted throughout the day.
Franklin County School officials closed schools as reports of flooded roadways poured into the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) office in Rocky Mount.
Before mid-morning Thursday, the rainfall began to subside, making a number of roads throughout the county passable.
Earlier in the morning, VDOT crews placed flashing warning signs just north of Boones Mill, as water from Maggodee Creek jumped its banks onto the southbound lane of U.S. 220.
Both the Blackwater and Pigg rivers created problems for motorists in many sections of the county and the Town of Rocky Mount.
Roads that are generally closed when a heavy rain occurs were closed earlier than usual by VDOT.
The Blackwater River flooded Blue Bend Road near the bridge on Jamestown Road more than usual. One long-time resident said he had not seen the river cover Blue Bend Road for such a great length and as deep since 1996. More than a quarter of a mile of the gravel road was several feet under water.
Other roads were quickly covered including Diamond Avenue Extension, Stave Mill Road, Sycamore Street, Robin Ridge Road, Doe Run Road and Hardy Road.
Other local roads closed, listed by numbers by VDOT include Routes 611, 674 and 707, 647, 657, 672, 632, 756, 781, 690 and 775, and reports continued to come in Thursday.
Of interest was the Town of Rocky Mount's low-head dam on the Blackwater River at the water treatment plant. Around mid-morning, there was no visible sign of the dam.
Two canoers drowned at that the dam site last summer. Rocky Mount and Franklin County partnered to eliminate a hydraulic by adding large rip-rap in front of the dam.
A lighted take-out location was constructed upstream of the dam, and a large sign to take out of the water now, was strung across the river. Also placed upstream was a cable crossing the river, which contained two orange plastic barrels. The cable is designed to break away under a certain amount of pressure, allowing the two barrels to be pushed to the embankment.
Wednesday morning, the two barrels were visible against the embankment. The intake building was surrounded by water, and a throw ring hanging from the handrail was just a couple feet above the water's surface.
The water had also reached the bottom of the warning sign and was struck by debris floating down the river.
Water in the Pigg River was so high that the low-head dam at Veterans' Memorial Park was covered by several feet of rushing water.
"I have never seen the river this high since I've been here," said Bob Deitrich, plant manager.
Weather predictors were not calling for the storm to pass completely through the area until late Thursday or early Friday morning. |
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