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Published Tuesday June 14, 2011
Rains could create pools at CWS
By Bob Glissmann
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
As much as a foot of water would pool along the eastern edge of TD Ameritrade Park if a rainstorm dumps more than 2 inches of rain on downtown Omaha in a three- to four-hour period, according to engineers with HDR Inc.
Even more water — up to four feet — would pool near 11th and Nicholas Streets, which is northeast of the stadium across Cuming Street.
That is what can happen when the nearby Missouri River is running at 33 feet, the level it's projected to hit by the weekend.
Under such a scenario, water wouldn't encircle the entire stadium, said Marty Grate, the city's environmental services manager. But if pumps couldn't handle such heavy rains, it could lead to enough standing water nearby that a College World Series game could be postponed, he said.
“We're in uncharted territory here,” he said.
The City of Omaha has been pumping water out of low-lying areas, and higher-capacity pumps are being shipped to town. But a big rain would keep crews from continuing to be able to pump out the water as it comes into storm water systems, Grate said.
At a press conference Monday, Grate and other officials displayed a map showing that a heavy rain would leave up to a foot of water from the stadium, through the Fan Fest area and east across 10th Street and Lot D to Riverfront Drive; north and west of the stadium across Cuming Street; and between Jones and Leavenworth Streets between the river and 10th Street.
Officials said they wanted to alert area residents and businesses to potential sewer backups and standing water so that they could develop an evacuation plan and remove possessions from basements and, in some cases, the first floors of buildings.
Street flooding near the Hot Shops Art Center at 13th and Nicholas Streets has been commonplace since the center opened 10 years ago, building manager Tim Barry said.
“When it rains more than an inch and a half in a single storm,” Barry said, “we'll get those (stormwater) grates popping off.”
The water, he said, will shoot five feet in the air.
Normally the water drains in four to six hours, Barry said. But with the ground saturated and the Missouri River running so high, he said, there's nowhere for the water to go.
Barry said his building would probably be OK under the scenario laid out by the city and HDR. But the water would keep artists who use the building and their customers from getting in.
“It will essentially close us down as long as we have water in the streets,” he said.
Meteorologist Van DeWald, with the National Weather Service office in Valley, said rain is in the forecast for every day this week but Wednesday. He said, however, that he doesn't expect any heavy rainstorms in the near future.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1109, [email protected]
Published Tuesday June 14, 2011
Rains could create pools at CWS
By Bob Glissmann
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
As much as a foot of water would pool along the eastern edge of TD Ameritrade Park if a rainstorm dumps more than 2 inches of rain on downtown Omaha in a three- to four-hour period, according to engineers with HDR Inc.
Even more water — up to four feet — would pool near 11th and Nicholas Streets, which is northeast of the stadium across Cuming Street.
That is what can happen when the nearby Missouri River is running at 33 feet, the level it's projected to hit by the weekend.
Under such a scenario, water wouldn't encircle the entire stadium, said Marty Grate, the city's environmental services manager. But if pumps couldn't handle such heavy rains, it could lead to enough standing water nearby that a College World Series game could be postponed, he said.
“We're in uncharted territory here,” he said.
The City of Omaha has been pumping water out of low-lying areas, and higher-capacity pumps are being shipped to town. But a big rain would keep crews from continuing to be able to pump out the water as it comes into storm water systems, Grate said.
At a press conference Monday, Grate and other officials displayed a map showing that a heavy rain would leave up to a foot of water from the stadium, through the Fan Fest area and east across 10th Street and Lot D to Riverfront Drive; north and west of the stadium across Cuming Street; and between Jones and Leavenworth Streets between the river and 10th Street.
Officials said they wanted to alert area residents and businesses to potential sewer backups and standing water so that they could develop an evacuation plan and remove possessions from basements and, in some cases, the first floors of buildings.
Street flooding near the Hot Shops Art Center at 13th and Nicholas Streets has been commonplace since the center opened 10 years ago, building manager Tim Barry said.
“When it rains more than an inch and a half in a single storm,” Barry said, “we'll get those (stormwater) grates popping off.”
The water, he said, will shoot five feet in the air.
Normally the water drains in four to six hours, Barry said. But with the ground saturated and the Missouri River running so high, he said, there's nowhere for the water to go.
Barry said his building would probably be OK under the scenario laid out by the city and HDR. But the water would keep artists who use the building and their customers from getting in.
“It will essentially close us down as long as we have water in the streets,” he said.
Meteorologist Van DeWald, with the National Weather Service office in Valley, said rain is in the forecast for every day this week but Wednesday. He said, however, that he doesn't expect any heavy rainstorms in the near future.
Contact the writer:
402-444-1109, [email protected]
