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Salineville soaked by Sunday storm

The back yards of homes along Washington Street in Salineville were being pumped out on Monday as the village began recovering from flooding caused by heavy rains Sunday evening. (Salem News photo by Deanne Johnson)

LISBON — A quick cloud burst of rain Sunday evening damaged Salineville streets, carried debris throughout town and flooded basements.

“There was just so much rain in so little time, it just couldn’t handle the volume,” said Mayor Linda Adams.

Adams said the village had damage in several places including Salineville Road West and debris on Foundry Hill and Main Street. Yards on Washington Street remained under water Monday, as did yards on Spring Street and Wilson Street, which both are downhill from Salineville Road West.

Councilman Brian Zaverl said the village sewer plant was pushed to the limit during the storm, but managed to handle the water. The same could not be said for a field Zaverl farms on the west end of Salineville, which was recently planted and led to mud rushing down the hillside and onto Salineville Road West.

The mud had to be cleared for the roadway and several basements and garages on that end of town had flood water inside.

The back yards of homes along Washington Street in Salineville were being pumped out on Monday as the village began recovering from flooding caused by heavy rains Sunday evening. (Salem News photo by Deanne Johnson)

Salineville Fire Chief Jeff Lewis said this was the most water he had seen running through town in a long time. Salineville firefighters with assistance from Franklin Township Fire Department pumped about 20 basements in town on Sunday evening and throughout the day on Monday.

Lewis said as he responded to the first basement flooding call, the water on Main Street was coming from both sides of the road and meeting in the middle of the roadway.

Adams noted the water which flowed through town did not just leave little rocks, they carried whole bricks and other large debris. The Ohio Department of Transportation came to help clear some of the debris from the state routes and Adams noted even some residents came out to help clear the streets.

Zaverl said he saw water several inches deep flowing down the brick hill on the east side of town. Adams noted she saw some children with inner tubes riding on the water rushing down the brick hill at one point Sunday night.

The brick hill and the intersection of Church Street and East Main both had places where blacktop, which had been laid over the brick, was lifted up.

Workers at the intersection of state Routes 39 and 164 were clearing rocks and debris from near the road and stream at the intersection after the area flooded during heavy rains on Sunday evening. (Salem News photo by Deanne Johnson)

For now both Zaverl and Adams say it is a matter of everyone cleaning up again.

“We still have a lot of cleanup to do,” Adams said, adding she would like people to remember the village only has a two-man street crew.

Zaverl said the village will again have to start cleaning out the catch basins throughout town, which are again plugged with the mud and debris which was flowing through the streets.

Besides pumping out basements, Lewis said firefighters also worked to clean up some of the debris on the state routes and side streets to make certain the roads were passable. He also thanked the Highlandtown Fire Department for blocking off state Route 39 outside of town until enough road closed signs could be brought in from the county EMA.

Additionally, firefighters had to cut up two trees which fell during the storm.

On Monday afternoon, firefighters were still busy helping to pump out yards where water remained sitting. Lewis said a lot of water flowed down the hillside near Creekside Springs, which had to stop operations on Monday and clean up. There were places throughout town where the grass was laying down still on Monday afternoon and it appeared water had just made its own path.

Adams said she was in contact on Monday with the EMA Director Peggy Clark and while it appears the situation was too localized for federal money, there may be other help for those without insurance. Adams said those needing help should contact her office.

Wilson noted the water remained inside the banks of the Riley Run Creek which runs through town, although he said you could hear it rushing from a distance and they kept an eye on it throughout the past 24 hours.

Estimates on the amount of rain people have heard fell vary from about three to four inches.

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