Aug. 5--Several residents told the New Albany City Council Monday they feared any prediction of rain due to flooding problems that have been especially brutal this summer.

Just a few hours later, their nightmare scenario played out.

Tuesday morning record downpours sent city and Floyd County rescue personnel scurrying to respond to trapped motorists, flooded homes and fire alarms. Another round of rainfall Tuesday afternoon only complicated flooding issues, as swift winds pushed small waves of water down Scribner Drive in front of the Frank C. Denzinger Criminal Justice Building.

Several roads were impassible in the morning hours, and a few streets remained closed as of press time. This morning, Mayor Doug England said the county state of emergency will likely be lifted by noon.

Residents around New Albany could be found pumping water out of their basements and doing the best they could to salvage their valuables.

For Woodfield Drive resident Clifford Staten, the flooding again pushed sewage into his basement. It wasn't as much wastewater as when it first happened to him on June 26, but unlike then, Slaten felt he was prepared for the storm.

Following the advice of city officials, Staten spent $1,200 to have a back flow valve installed. When activated, It's supposed to stop sewage from entering or leaving the house's septic system, but it didn't work.

"I'm just frustrated right now," Staten said. "The people that put it in are just as frustrated as I am."

Wes Christmas, engineer for the city-hired firm Clark Dietz, Inc., said Tuesday afternoon he was still awaiting data to determine the amount of flow New Albany lift stations experienced.

He estimated Southern Indiana endured a 100-year rain event.

"The system is just not made to handle that amount of rainfall in that amount of time," Christmas said.

But he added that a back flow device should have kept sewage from coming back through Staten's pipes and entering his home.

High waters can push lids off of sewer manhole covers, flooding the system with runoff. Due to federal standards, New Albany sewer stations aren't allowed to pump wastewater into creeks anymore after their capacity has been met.

Other factors such as property owners illegally connecting stormwater down spouts to sewer pipes can also lead to over capacity issues.

EYE OF THE STORM

New Albany Utilities Director Brad Kessans said nearly five inches of rain fell between 8 and 10 a.m. Tuesday. Crews remained on call through Wednesday morning, but the downpours were overwhelming.