APWA Reporter, September 2019 issue

Page 16

Flooding in English Landing Park

The restoration efforts started in April, with staff cleaning and restoring areas of Platte Landing Park. One of the largest events in the park is held in late April. Brewfest, hosted by the downtown merchants, draws hundreds of regional breweries and thousands of event patrons. Staff met with the event organizers prior to the event to identify an alternative location. The initial restoration effort focused on preparing the alternative location for the event. Brewfest was successfully held at the end of April. The Corps of Engineers provided detailed updates throughout the flooding events. Based on communication provided by the Corps of Engineers, the City knew that river levels would continue to fluctuate throughout the spring and summer, resulting in additional flooding in the park. Staff 14

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September 2019

Due to the high probability of the river cresting again, the City purchased plugs for storm drains and pumps to reduce overall cost and increase readiness to respond to future flood events. continued to monitor the predictions daily, as well as actual river levels. At the end of May, the Missouri River started to come out of its banks again. It was dĂŠjĂ vu for Parkville. The Missouri River crested on June 1, 2019. At the crest, the river was four inches below the highest elevation in March. Lessons learned from the March flood were applied to the June flood. In March, staff utilized storm drain plugs to keep the backwater from the Missouri River from reaching Main Street and entering businesses. Staff also

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utilized water pumps during the rain events to prevent rainwater from accumulating in the streets in front of the businesses. Both plugs and pumps were rented during the March flood. Due to the high probability of the river cresting again, the City purchased plugs for storm drains and pumps to reduce overall cost and increase readiness to respond to future flood events. Alysen Abel can be reached at (816) 7417676 or AAbel@parkvillemo.gov.


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