ATHENS, Ohio — Athens Mayor Steve Patterson told City Council this week the city is rolling out a package of flood-recovery and prevention measures after three major rainstorms — in June, August and September — left streets, homes and businesses across the city under water. The hardest-hit corridors included Richland Avenue, East State Street, Congress Street and Highland Avenue, and residents have been pressing city hall for action.
Among the new steps: the city is purchasing portable Garrison flood barriers that residents can rent out after flash-flood events, and it launched a Sanitary Sewer Backflow Prevention Program in September that reimburses East State Street residents for installing backflow valves to keep floodwater from backing up through basement floor drains. The city will also help property owners who had to power-wash silt from parking lots, and crews will smoke-test sewer lines to find where storm water is getting in.
“Five inches within a very short period of time is catastrophic anywhere in the city,” Patterson told council. “We will continue to work on programs and ways in which we can help our community when it comes to those events.”
Much of the funding will come from the city’s marijuana dispensary sales tax, which brings in about $36,000 a month. Patterson said $8,000 of that each month will go into a new Climate Resiliency Fund dedicated to medium- and long-term flood mitigation. Ohio University environmental studies director Natalie Kruse Daniels has also recommended watershed-level fixes — upland detention, bioswales and detention basins along Coats Run — while street crews keep dredging around bridges and clearing storm drains.
