Mid-day thunderstorm floods Perry streets, slows Monday traffic

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Perry Public Works Director Jack Butler, left, works to open an outlet at the corner of Fourth and Evelyn streets during today's rain.

A noontime thunderstorm filled several of Perry’s streets and intersections Monday with a reminder of June’s 8-inch deluge.

Perry Public Works Director Jack Butler, clearing storm sewer inlets at the flooded intersection of Fourth and Evelyn streets, said this is one reason why the city’s compliance officer issues warnings and citations to citizens who let their grass clippings blow into the street.

“Clippings and other stuff block the drains,” Butler said. “It’s hard to keep them clear, but we encourage people to be careful about it.”

4 COMMENTS

  1. As the homeowner of the house in the above picture at 4th and Evelyn: “clippings and other stuff blocks the drains” can’t be the only reason the intersection at 4th & Evelyn floods. That intersection has been flooding consistently for the 15 plus years I’ve been living there. My neighbors and my household have just learned to not park our vehicle on the street when we know the rains are coming as the storm drains just can not keep up. This has been an on going problem that I use to call city hall and complain about but stopped doing so after about three years or so because it was obvious that nothing was going to be done about it. So please don’t blame the local citizens for blowing their grass clippings into the street (which I might add I do my damnest not to do) when there is obviously a bigger problem than that. Maybe blame the rather large raccoon that has taken up residence in the storm drain for not keeping his domain clean?

    • Thanks very much for your comment, Bob. You are quite right, and I’m afraid the brief story that went with the pictures is a little misleading. It was I who gave the impression that grass clippings might be the main or even the sole cause of the blockage, but this is not at all what Jack Butler said. In this case, is seems ThePerryNews.com did quite tell it all because there is likely a lot more to tell that we’re not even aware of yet. And before we blame the local wildlife (kind of like blaming Canada geese for nitrate in the river), maybe we can look a little deeper into the question and find out what’s really going on. Then we can blame the wildlife. Thanks a lot for reading ThePerryNews.com.

  2. I have to agree with Bob my wife and I have lived in the neighborhood close to 27 years and see this same problem every year. Have seen cars stranded, kids floating in rafts and wading. Contacted the city years ago they said then it was in the works to be fixed. Grass clipping may be a small part of it but after a good rain you will find a lot of trash at times that floats to the drain. Since we have been putting the trash on the curb it has been worse .

  3. I have to agree with Bob my wife and I have lived in the neighborhood close to 27 years and see this same problem every year. Have seen cars stranded, kids floating in rafts and wading. Contacted the city years ago they said then it was in the works to be fixed. Grass clipping may be a small part of it but after a good rain you will find a lot of trash at times that floats to the drain. Since we have been putting the trash on the curb it has been worse

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