Pocatello braces for flood season

August has been a very wet month for Pocatello the past couple of years. Thanks to summer storms, flash floods have hit the city and surrounding areas hard. Although the city said they’re better prepared for another one, it’s still a game of wait and see.

Pocatello’s storm water system is currently designed for a once in a 10n year event, which means over an inch of rain can pass through the system. Recent developments to the system have ensured a once in a 100 year event could pass through, which means over two inches of rain.

The city’s street department runs constant checks to maintain a healthy water system, but city environmental coordinator Hannah Sanger said until the storm hits they won’t know whether or not it can handle the water.

“We’re just continually trying to improve the system, but if the event’s larger than the system can handle, we’ll see where the water goes,” she said.

Problems in the storm water system are fixed on a first come first serve basis. If a problem is identified and it can be fixed at a low cost, the city would fix the problem right away. However, if it’s a bigger problem, like the system needs a larger pipe, then it’s a bigger process.

“We don’t have funding to repair storm water (systems),” Sanger said. “You pay a water bill, you pay a sewer bill, but you don’t pay a storm water bill. so the City Council will have to set aside money through tax dollars to identify and solve those problems.”

The city is currently developing a model of its storm pipes to try and identify problem areas, so they can be fixed ahead of time.

When a flash flood does happen, it’s best to avoid driving and walking through the water. According to the National Weather Service, a car only six inches of rain to be swept away. Also, hazards like manholes could be covered by the water. Electrical currents could also be running through the water.

“Around 50 percent of fatalities due to flooding are from people that are trying to drive across flooded roadways,” said Corey Loveland, service hydrologist for the National Weather Service.

This week is flood safety awareness week in Idaho.