Frequent water issues frustrate St. Peters families on flood-prone street
ST. PETERS, Mo. (First Alert 4) -Wednesday’s heavy rain sent water rushing over St. Peters Howell Rd. and into nearby homes, a frustration residents say has become all too frequent.
When the storm washed over Rob Rippee’s neighborhood this afternoon it quickly filled the small stream that runs near his backyard and into the Dardenne Creek. Within minutes it had risen up into several homes on the block, including Rippee’s.
“We got about a foot of water in the house,” he said.
Rippee said he and other neighbors had reached out to St. Charles County officials to find a solution to the problem, which they say seems to be happening with greater frequency. Rippee attributes it to robust construction in the area resulting in additional runoff into the creek.
“That water has nowhere to go anymore. They’ve raised the flood plain was down the highway here. It just backs up and when it does it gets bad,” he said.
The county commissioned a flood study to look at potential solutions for the problem. The results of that study should be published later this year.
A spokesperson for the St. Charles County Highway Department called the issue a complex one.
“The St. Charles County Highway Department has hired a consultant to identify causes of flooding and develop solutions,” he wrote. “The issue is complex because flooding in one location may be caused by conditions upstream or down—on private property or on land controlled by neighborhood associations. Historic heavy rains, timing and terrain also play a role. Our first priority is always public safety and our crews work to make roads safe and able.”
Tim Baker, a county councilman who advocated for the study, as well as a former civil engineer, said that much of the issue came down to the small size of the creek bed.
Baker has also proposed a special county fund for drainage improvements.
“Drainage systems are designed for the 15-year storm,” he said. “Theoretically it happens every 15 years but now it’s happening several times a year. That’s what we’re dealing with”
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