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resists the flood waters of Big Indian Creek.
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Water from Big Indian Creek floods across Interstate 75 between Exit 42 (Highway
41) and Exit 43 (Sam Nunn Boulevard). Troopers shut down traffic on the Interstate,
cutting South Perry off from North Perry.
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Traffic is backed up at Exit 42 (Highway 41) In South Perry, as state troopers close
down Interstate 75 between Exit 42 and Exit 43 (Sam Nunn Boulevard) because of
flooding.
City Hall staff deals with problems caused by the flood
By BRIGETTE LOUDERMILK ~
Editor
Since the rain started Monday
night, area residents have seen first
hand the wrath of Mother Nature.
In Perry, most residents have been
fortunate. Although the city became
an "island", with all outlets outside
the city being blocked off, residents
did have running water, open roads
in town and secure homes.
Exceptions to that occurred on
Elko Road and along Lake Joy.
Interim City Manager Janice
Williams said probably 10 homes
along Elko Road were damaged
with at least three or four home
owners losing "everything",
j No fatalities have been reported
locally and the worst problems the
Perry City Hall staff has had to deal
with is re-routing traffic and collect
ing trash.
According to Mayor James E.
Worrell, the trash picked up by city
workers earlier in the week was still
contained inside trucks because ac
cess to the landfill had been cut off.
Public Works Superintendent Hugh
Sharp said Friday that the county
landfill opened from noon until 6
p.m. Thursday.
Utilities Superintendent Danny
Walker said that as soon as flooding
began the city closed its smaller
water station because "we knew it
would get flooded". Still the main
station stayed open and there is
plenty of stored water in city tanks.
"Thank goodness we have water.
When the water is gone, that's
when people begin to panic,”
Worrall stated.
Although the phones have been
"ringing off the hooks" at the local
police department, most calls have
been from citizens seeking alterna
tive routes for travelling.
According to Police Chief Frank
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Houston Lake bursts through Houston Lake Dam (bottom of the photo) onto Houston Lake Road (top of the
photo), washing the road out.
Simons his department's main con
cerns were with medical emergen
cies. "We had to ferry medication
across the bridge (at Courtney
Hodges) and get patients and doctors
to the hospital. We were very for
tunate, we had enough officers out
and the citizens' cooperation really
helped."
When the city was split due to th'*
flooding on Courtney Hodges
Boulevard at Dr. A.G. Hendricks
Memorial fridge over Big Indian
Creek, Simons did route two offi
cers to the north side of town as a
"precautionary measure". Although
there were already three officers on
that side of town, two officers were
sent through Hawkinsville to
Pinehurst and around the back of
Interstate 75.
"I’m glad we got them over there
because what we were afraid would
happen did when Big Indian Creek
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A white plastic chair floating down Big Indian Creek is hung up on the roof of a
house on Elko Road. Several houses on the creek side of Elko Road leading out of
Perry fell victim to the flood waters.
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Stranded motorists wait in line to use the phone at the Speedway convenience store
on Courtney Hodges Boulevard after troopers shut down Interstate 75 because of
flooding Wednesday afternoon.
flooded," Simons said, adding that
the officers stayed on the north side
of town for about 20 hours.
Worrall was quick to point out
that although traffic seemed to be
the major problem in Perry, the
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that allowed the county to get to
the landfill.
"(The flood) is going to be
costly," said Miller, saying the
flood was a 500 year flood, mean
ing that flood’s that size happened
once every 500 years. "It's going to
have a very negative impact as far
as the economy goes," he said.
"I've toured many of the devas
tated areas," Congressman Sanford
Bishop. "(The flood's destruction)
has been horrendous."
"In every single community,
Saturday, July 9,1994 Houston Times-Journal-
staff at city hall did an "outstanding
job. Many of our department heads
and other staff members have been
working non-stop since Tuesday
and I haven't heard one person com
plain. Our city employees are to be
commended for their diligence and
people have come together and have
formed a partnership and team to
deal with this destruction," said
Bishop. "It says a lot about the
character and the mettle of the area."
Wayne Shackleford, with the
Department of Transportation, said
that over 1,700 Georgia roads and
bridges had been damaged by the
flood. He estimated the costs of re
pairs at SSO million for county and
city roads and bridges, and S2O mil
lion for state bridges. However, he
said that it was too early to make a
commitment to the citizens of
Perry."
Worrall also stated that the city
received excellent cooperation when
working with officials from
Houston County and various state
departments.
definite estimate of the damage,
since flood waters had not receded
from some areas and had not reached
other areas.
Thirty-one counties in the state
have been declared federal disaster
areas, said Miller.
Miller also said that the state has
sent 450 National Guardsmen and
400 additional state troopers into
the area to help with security. Also,
over 200 divers will come to the
Middle Georgia area to assist with
damage assessment.
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