Torrential rains blew through McComb Saturday afternoon, causing flash flooding and scattered power outages.
Pike County Civil Defense Director Richard Coghlan said rain measured 5.1 inches on Parklane Road after the noon deluge. And Ronnie Lindsey, director of public works in McComb, measured 5 inches of rain between 30 and 45 minutes at his home.
Among the places hit hardest was Buddy’s, a bar and grill on Delaware Avenue in McComb. Owner Beth Hemeter said there was 12 inches of water in the back of Buddy’s. The bar was closed on Saturday so that Hemeter and others could clean out.
Hemeter said a large drainage ditch that runs next to Buddy’s backed up and filled the bar. She said water was lapping up under the back porch of the bar.
“It was enough water that it floated my huge propane tank and knocked out the gate in the back,” she said. “I’ve never seen water do that. … We’re going to do our best to get going again as soon as we can.”
Hemeter’s ImageMaker Photography, located across the drainage ditch from Buddy’s, also received a small amount of water that washed over a slab in the back of the building, but nothing like the flooding at Buddy’s.
She said when she arrived on the scene shortly after noon on Saturday, the water was so deep, she had to park up the hill and walk down. Water was coming up from the manhole covers in front of Buddy’s.
Coghlan said several streets were under water, including parts of Delaware Avenue, Parklane Road and Presley Boulevard. Also taking in water were some residences at Parklane Apartments, the McComb Public Works office on Michigan Avenue and Smith Brothers Body Shop off Presley.
The waters rose fast, but they also quickly receded.
“It dumped the rain, but it went right on back down,” he said. “We received 5 inches in an hour. … Rarely have I ever seen that.”
That’s no consolation to Shyannth Harrell, a resident of Victory Park subdivision in McComb. Harrell’s parents, Shirley and Willie Harrell, were busy helping mop up about 6 inches of water that flooded her home Saturday.
Shyannth bought her home in December, and she said she was told she didn’t need flood insurance because she was not in a flood zone. Meanwhile, her carpet is soaked throughout, and water has damaged her furniture. Shirley Harrell said her daughter’s neighbors dug out a pile of debris that had clogged the ditch in front of her 10th Street home, where a water line ring is visible.
Many have questioned the problem of debris and limbs downed by Hurricane Gustav that have remained in piles in front of homes all across McComb.
Lindsey said the city began picking up Gustav debris this past week in Baertown, and officials hope to get a presidential declaration for FEMA assistance to pay for debris removal.
“That hasn’t been done yet. We’re having to do (the clean-up) ourselves, but we hope FEMA will reimburse us so the taxpayers of McComb don’t have to pay for it,” Lindsey said.
