Victoria MN Newspaper

SANDBAGS WERE NEEDED AT ZUMBRA

FIRE DEPARTMENT ASSISTED CITY AND RESIDENTS

June 9th

Ann Mahnke, Director of Victoria Parks and Public Works, reported June 9th on conditions related to the heavy rains of the June 1st weekend.

"Some of the residents at Zumbra Ridge contacted the city on Tuesday, June 3rd, and asked the Public Works Department to look at their situation. About 15 to 20 residents and some members of the Fire Department, and Public Works, filled sandbags. One house is actually below the lake. Three Rivers Park District is a primary landowner there. Actually, there are four lakes all tied together in that area. This morning the lake level appears to be the same. We're on standby with more sandbags."

Said Mayor Tom O'Connor, who was also on scene at Zumbra Ridge, "It was tragic. But it was inspiring to see nine firefighters working in the middle of the rain and the slop. It breaks your heart to see the damage. Thank you to staff, the Fire Department, and residents. We should look at long term solutions."

June 23rd

City Manager Don Uram began the presentation. "Our staff has been working hard over the last weeks. It's amazing to see the work they've done. Our staff and the Victoria firefighters have been out working, literally, all night."

He asked Ann Mahnke to talk about it.

"We've had 12 inches of rain in June so far," she said. "The normal amount is 2 inches. June 3rd was our first big event. Water was high on Lake Zumbra and we began a sandbag operation."

"This past Thursday, June 19th, was the most significant event to date. It was a downpour. We had several lift station failures. Several streets were flooded. Our storm ponds were challenged. Our Public Works crew really worked. They put in 17 to 21 hours straight, working overnight.

"Lake Zumbra unfortunately continues to rise. It's our fourth sandbag operation. We filled and hauled 2,000 sandbags with 45 tons of sand … At Zumbra, 15 different properties were affected with approximately $375,000 in water, yard, and landscape damage. We're working with property owners so we can get that number to the County."

Ann added that some homes in Victoria also had water because of saturation or sump pump issues.

"We're not able to get other things done in the City because of the water issues ... Lift Station #11 on Lake Auburn went down. We had to bypass it, pouring sewage into the ditch. It's up and running again. The Lift Station at Zumbra failed. We also had to pump sewage into the ditch there. It's now running again. Our crews were out around the clock … We've spent 500 man-hours on water events including both Public Woks and Fire personnel. The hours cover Zumbra flooding (sandbagging), and sewer lift station maintenance and monitoring and street and pond flooding and monitoring. Very preliminary cost estimates are $18,000 in labor and $38,000 for equipment ... One of our retaining walls went down. We've got a lot of work to do. We're hoping it's going to end … Also on Thursday morning, a house was hit by lightning. I don't know where we'd be without the Fire Department as we try to save people's homes. They've done an outstanding job and deserve a lot of credit."

***

City Engineer Cara Geheren contributed other information about the June storm events.

"We've fared well compared to other communities," she said. "We had some street flooding in Deer Run. They've been struggling with stormwater for the last few years. Rainfall is increasing over time. A street is under water, but it's better than having houses under water."

"We have so many lift stations in Victoria," continued Cara. "It's a huge job to keep them going in a situation like this. The lift station at Wisteria was problematic … Narcissus Street was completely under water. At Allegheny Grove, water overflowed the pond and went into the backyards. There's a big pond in the ditch in front of Cabin Fever. A storm drain is located there … We probably have a dozen places to really look at, especially Deer Run, to better manage the water ... The power went out twice at City Hall so panic was starting to set in. We couldn't charge our cell phones ... With the 12 inches of rain we've already gotten this month, people are still watering their lawns. They have to be educated ... Our stormwater ponds are working. They really need to be maintained to keep them working."

Cara surmised that there are residents with water issues who didn't call the city and who have private property issues. Councilmember Joe Pavelko remarked on the small number of calls the city received. "That's pretty darn good, considering all of our lakes and ponds," he said.

"What struck me," said Mayor Tom O'Connor, "is that we can focus on the near-term and at the same time look at the long-term." He added, "The Fire Department was there when we needed them. This city is eternally grateful to them."

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