Flooding of N Street home blamed on storm drain blockage

Though Benicia received more than an inch of rain in one day last week, storm drains were able to handle most of the water, said Graham S. Wadsworth, Public Works director.

That was Tuesday. Wednesday was another story, Wadsworth said — though some of the weather-related problems the city saw that day may have been caused by an unmaintained Caltrans ditch.

In a report to City Manager Brad Kilger, Wadsworth wrote that by 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, “it was raining considerably and all storm drains were functioning properly.”

Then the city received about 1.4 inches of rain Wednesday, most of which fell by 2 p.m., he wrote.

“Intense rainfall runoff began to exceed the capacity of several drainage systems in the city, and Public Works standby staff were called into work to respond to reports of flooding,” Wadsworth wrote.

Most of the situation was confined to what Wadsworth called “the storm drain corridor” that originates at the top of East Fifth Street and extends to the top of the Benicia Marina basin.

Wadsworth wrote that the water system between East Fourth, East Fifth and East L streets and Interstate 780 were working properly Tuesday “though it was raining considerably.”

But at 4 a.m. Wednesday, the Public Works maintenance crew was dispatched to 472 East N St., where they found “water boiling from a storm drain manhole in the alley north of N Street and south of O Street,” Wadsworth wrote.

“The water flowed over the parking lot at the apartments on the north side of N Street, across N Street and into the front yard at 472 East N St.”

That’s the home of Todd and Christy Willis, who were forced out of their house two years ago during a storm and had to wait eight months for repairs to be finished so they could move back in.

At the time, city officials told the Willises they had experienced a “75-year” flooding event that shouldn’t happen again.

This week’s event was at least as significant as the flooding two years ago, with 2 feet of water rushing into the house. Benicia employees have set the family up at a hotel.

“A jetting crew was able to clear the blockage in the storm drain pipe in the alley north of N Street and the surface runoff ceased at that time,” Wadsworth wrote.

While the storm drain pipe was being jetted, a Public Works supervisor investigated the drainage system upstream, he wrote. The supervisor noticed what Wadsworth described as “a large pool of standing water” in a low area of the Caltrans concrete storm drain V-ditch adjacent to the East Fifth Street I-780 off-ramp.

“Water was observed sheeting across the 7 Flags Car Wash property from the highway fill slope and through the Caltrans fence,” he wrote.

Wadsworth’s report continued, “It appears that the Caltrans drainage inlet at the bottom of the concrete storm drain V-ditch was blocked with debris.”

That ditch had not been maintained by Caltrans, he wrote, and a large amount of runoff and debris washed into the city’s storm system on the 400 block of O Street near the 7 Flags Car Wash.

“It appears that the debris caused a blockage in the pipe between O and N streets and caused the runoff damage to the property at 472 East N St.,” he wrote.

Wadsworth wrote Kilger that city employees regularly monitor the weather and have been “proactive” about keeping storm drains clean, both before and during rain storms.

“With leaves falling off trees at this time of year, extra efforts are made to clean drainage inlets and sweep streets,” he wrote.

In particular, Public Works maintenance crews inspected areas where flooding historically has been a problem, making sure debris has been cleared to minimize drain blockages.

They also prepare barricades and “Flooded” signs for placement, he wrote. In addition, employees make sure plenty of sand and bags are available at both the Corporation Yard, 2400 East Second St., and the East E Street parking lot across from the Benicia Yacht Club, so residents can fill and take them. Residents are asked to bring their own shovels.

“During this recent storm residents were able to get sand bags,” he wrote.

Wadsworth said his employees had to deal with other flooded areas, such as the intersection of East B and East Second streets and East Second and East E streets, where rain runoff was blocked by high water levels in the Carquinez Strait.

Portions of St. Augustine Drive and an area near West K and West Fifth streets have flooded in the past, he wrote, but last week those places remained clear.

“Crews were out all day Wednesday cleaning mud and other debris from various surface streets, sidewalks and city-owned parking lots,” he wrote.

They made the rounds again later in the week, particularly to keep streets clear in anticipation of downtown Benicia’s holiday events, the annual Open House and Christmas Tree lighting, he wrote.

Wadsworth wrote that Benicia participates in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and has a flood plain management ordinance with special requirements for building structures in the special flood hazard areas.

“By participating in the NFIP, insurance carriers can write flood insurance policies for property owners in Benicia,” he wrote.

“If a property is not in a special flood hazard area, they can purchase flood insurance at the lowest, or ‘preferred,’ rate through their insurance carrier.”

Those interested in learning about emergency notifications can visit the city’s Web page, www.ci.benicia.ca.us, or call the city at 707-746-4240.

Those who want to report a flood may call 707-746-4296 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or 707-745-3412 during non-business hours.

Winter storm preparedness information is available on the city of Benicia Public Works Department Web page, which can be reached HERE.

The Public Works page can be reached through the website’s top bar heading, “City Departments,” and the “Winter Storms” link is toward the bottom of that page.

According to the National Weather Service and local stations, no rain had fallen by Friday afternoon at Fire Station 11, 150 Military West, which has received 5.64 inches so far this season, or at the Water Treatment Plant, 100 Water Way, which has a season total of 4.57 inches.

At Fire Station 12, 601 Hastings Drive, .01 inches fell Friday afternoon, bringing the season total to 5.40 inches.

Rain is likely to return Wednesday and continue Thursday and Friday, with Thursday’s showers likely to be strong. That day also poses a threat of thunderstorms.

The Willises and those living in an adjacent single-story home on their property — four adults and five children in all — have had to leave their homes because of the water damage. While the two families have clothing, they said they will need household and furniture items once they find new accommodations.

An online Go Fund Me account has been established to help them, and those interested can donate at http://bit.ly/1FUYKAg.