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Old drainage system no match for summer deluge
Roadsie ditches have been working overtime.
Town Manager Cliff Ogburn has identified as many as two dozen spots around town where rain and runoff inundated a storm-water drainage system that dates back to the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962.
Downpours from Tropical Storm Beryl contributed to as much as 10 inches of rain in May. Then a stubborn weather pattern settled in, generating heavy showers and thunderstorms for the next three months. Some streets and neighborhoods saw flooding for most of the summer.
The state Department of Transportation has cleared some ditches along the bypass, but more work needs to be done, Ogburn said.
Ogburn plans to come back to the Board of Commissioners with specific plans and priorities as well as cost estimates. But he added at a board meeting last week that any improvements cannot practically handle a once in 100-year or 500-year storm.
“We can build for a 10-year storm or a 25-year storm, but at some point the projects, no matter how well they’re engineered, are going to become overwhelmed,” he said.
Still, several problems areas need immediate fixes. Efforts to minimize flooding in Nags Head Acres and neighboring Vista Colony, for example, have been hampered by poor drainage along U.S. 158.
Runoff from the two neighborhoods is supposed to flow into a ditch, then under the bypass to an ocean outfall. But a difference of about 18 inches in the grade means the water collects on the west side of the bypass and eventually back into the neighborhoods.
Ogburn said that the hope is to channel some runoff south to another outfall, but state environmental rules and DOT regulations complicate efforts to move water.
Rainfall this year at Town Hall hit 36.87 inches through August. That is more than fell in 12 months every year since 2007 except 2010. That year, the measurement for the entire year was 38.03 inches.
So far this year, 50.37 inches have been recorded at 8th Street.
Town officials have surveyed several neighborhoods, cleaned out ditches and culverts and in some cases have pumped out water. They have met with the DOT and the National Park Service, which have jurisdiction over several ditches and canals.
The Department of Transportation has agreed to contribute $20,000 for a modeling study in South Nags Head. The town would have to cover any added costs.
East-west ditches on NPS land, Ogburn said, can be returned to their original depths without an environmental impact statement. But an environmental assessment might be needed.
Standing water like this in Nags Head Pond is common in many neighborhoods.
Ogburn said the $4 storm-water fee assessed property owners raises only $150,000. He said the town will have to look at other sources of money for fixes throughout Nags Head.
“We’ve got to prioritize and spend the public dollar where it will do the most good,” said Mayor Bob Oakes.
Areas that need work or closer examination, Ogburn said, are:
• Between Wrightsville and Memorial in the Gallery Row area.
• The outfall extension near the Red Drum.
• Replacing the culvert between Nags Head Acres and Dirty Dick’s Crab House.
• Pet Smart.
• Nags Head Pond.
• Nags Head Acres.
• Vista Colony.
• DOT right-of-way swales from Blue Jay to Hollowell.
• DOT right-of-way swale at Villa Dunes Drive.
• DOT right-of-way swale at Woodhill Drive.
• North Ridge.
• Old Nags Head Place — Linda Lane cul-de-sac.
• Soundside Road.
• South Ridge — Deering Street.
• Seven Sisters.
• Dine Ridge.
• OUter Banks Hospital.
• East of Mile Post 10.5 Shoppes.
• Private project proposed in 2500 block of Wrightsville.
• Complaints about flooding around Nags Head Elementary School.
• Old ditch on private properties between Wrightsville and Memorial.
• Whalebone Junction around Holy Trinity church and KFC.
• N.C. 1243, east side in South Nags Head.
• N.C. 1243, east-to-west ditches.
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A Local says:
EAST SIDE IN SOUTH NAGS HEAD!! Really. What about the private homes on the west side sitting in 4 feet of water every time it rains. There are several older homes getting flooded from the new construction and nothing is being done! Here we go again, protect the Rental property owners and to hell with the locals that live here!
I would like to see what would happen if Mr. Ogburn and Mr. Oaks had to move their vehicles every time it rains! The elevation for new homes is causing the problem in South Nags Head and yet it continues!
Pet Smart!!! Isn’t that a new business? Why was the building allowed if there was a stormwater issue?
A Local says:
I am happy to see; however, that something is finally being done about the dangerous stormwater situation and thank the commissioners and town managers for finally looking into this.
a local says:
In relations to Petsmart- they are only talking about the area- there is a retention pond behind Petsmart and it’s full so it’s draining in the street (Lark) and into the businesses behind and around it.
G says:
Well, a lot of the water was making it to the outfalls. The ocean water around the one at Curlew street was nasty reddish-brown in August.
obx mother says:
I am still waiting for them to fix the problem on Apache Street. Since 2004 I have gone to the town with the problem they have created for me. They have done nothing, I have to call for them to maintain their swill, sometime being told they don’t have the manpower. It would be nice to see the TOWN go to work for the locals for once. 8 years and everyone will listen however no one will do anything!
Nags head bob says:
Don’t build a house in a hole…..
Ray Midgett says:
Are you telling me that the most regulated town on the Outer Banks has standing water problems? I thought the water summit called by ex-Senator Basnight a few years ago solved everything. What ever came of that anyway?
A Local says:
to Nags Head Bob -
We did not build a house in a hole. Our house was level with existing lots in the neighbohood and we came down during storms prior to purchasing to make sure our home didn’t flood. That was in 1998. After moving here, houses were built on both sides and created a hole! In other areas of the country, newer homes are required to put in storm drainage and I have letters in my files from the 1980′s saying that at least on of the lots beside me was unbuildable. The Greed factor kicked in during the building boom from about 2002 – 2006 and all the old rules got tossed out. You can now elevate your lot and ruin your neighbors property. Me (the old neighbor)has to sue you in court or spend over $20,000 to raise my house and elevate my lot. If I do that, I will ruin the couples lot 2 doors down. It’s a crying shame. The rental houses are vacant at least 50% of the time. I live here and fight the water every time it rains. The houses were not here when I purchased mine so your comment about building in a hole is a direct insult to me and ridiculous considering the NEW ELEVATION CREATING A “HOLE” is the issue.
ekim says:
SMELLS LIKE A TAX HIKE!!!!!! YALL BETTER WATCH OUT….
OldNews says:
Hopefully the judges were about to elect will use alternative sentencing, and we can get all the ditches county wide all fixed up nice.
obx mother says:
to: A LOCAL. I am in the same boat you are. It was a town rep who told me I need to sue my neighbors builder and the town. Like you when I purchased the home i was on a dead end street. I believe I have done everything possible and with in my limited income to help the situation on my part. I have installed gutters, I have put in drainage pipes from the gutter run offs, I have even purchased sand bags. What has the town done… hmmm they raised the road to run the water off at the lowest point, which it guess were my driveway. they ever put a new drive way bid in to allow even more water to sit on my property and not flow through to the other swale. I had a landscaper move direct around to form a run off away from my garage. It seems I did this by working with my neighbor. I am still patiently waiting for the FALL and the TOWN to get the manpower to help! I am hoping for the best but yet preparing for the worst. They haven’t come thru since 2004, so this positive thinking on my part is getting old. Who do you have to know to get some type of action! Again I own my home, I pay my taxes and I vote,
But my voice has gotten me nowhere!
ekim says:
It doesnt matter if you vote or pay yout taxes in N H
A Local says:
To OBX Mother: Thanks. Too bad we’re on the same side of this issue. Just means we’re both dealing with everyone else’s runoff!
Another Local Says says:
Boohoo- Once again people are complaining because something is getting done but the government isn’t doing it on their property. Be happy this is the new issue, if successful, a similar project would likely go to other areas, maybe where you and I live. Complaining about it only makes it less likely!! For all of our sake, don’t make this a negative political issue, at least something is getting done.
Obx Mother says:
I don’t believe that speaking the truth is considered complaining.
Unfortunately this is not a new issue to some locals.
Bob Samuels says:
As a Vista Colony resident of many years, I can attest to the fact that there wasn’t a “problem” with storm water here before the town and it’s high priced storm water engineers got involved in the process. Now, we have a problem.
Yes, a couple of homes experienced water into their carports (closed-in by the owners knowing the issues) during exceptional rainfall. The town of Nags Head could’ve saved a lot of tax payers money to have these specific homes (loudest criers) problems corrected instead of expanding hardships on the rest of us. The whole plan has been a disaster. The ditches that were installed remain filled with standing water. E-coli (and I’m sure numerous other beasties) are rampant. This project has lowered our home values, created health and safety issues and lowered the quality of life in our neighborhood.
James says:
Several months ago, quite a few residents of Vista Colony and Nags Head Acres attended a storm water management meeting. At the beginning, we were all encouraged by Town of NH reps to sign in with our names, email, phone, etc. The purpose was so that we could receive updates on how the town would address the problem. To this date, I have not heard a thing since the meeting other than this Voice article.
A few days after the meeting town work crews dug up the ditches in NH Acres, including tree roots, making them deeper, so that they could fill in even deeper with stagnant groundwater from nearby septic systems. The deeper ditches were not graded downhill, nor has anything been done to direct the water towards the drainage swale along the bypass (that doesn’t drain). All this with absolutely no communication from the town, after they explicitly said to put our information down on a sheet at a stormwater meeting so they could keep us in touch.
I know that during the beach nourishment project, daily updates were posted on the town website so cottage renters could know exactly when and where crews would be disturbing the beach. I also know those renters are a big part of our economy. But they don’t vote – its the residents west of the bypass that do. So far I’m not impressed. Mayor Oakes, I know you check in on this website. What’s being done? Why should you get to keep your job?
Thanks to the Voice’s reporting, I know town resources are being squandered chasing around a man and his ad truck, or trying to squeeze a convention center into a restaurant parking lot, but we’re short here? Come on.
longtimeresident says:
Doesn’t anyone remember when the back of Ocean Acres (east of the hill) went under between 2 & 3 ft. of water. This was about 20/25 years ago. Lowell Perry was the Mayor of KDH and he lived back there. Apparently the towns had quit pumping water from the Fresh Ponds and the water table got so high that a heavy rain caused the flood. No one would admit that stopping the pumping MAY have had anything to do with the flooding BUT very quietly several months later THEY resumed pumping from the Fresh Ponds. Well folks, guess what, THEY quit pumping water out of the Fresh Ponds 2 to 3 years ago and here we go again. I was told Nags Head charges too much for the water and the water system can use water from other sources for cheaper.
Nags Head needs to either charge less or give the water away to the county to alleviate the flooding and the high water table!
Vista Colony Resident says:
This drainage project was a big waste of taxpayer money. I have lived here over 30 years and have never seen flooding on the road. A few houses have flooded underneath, but most of them were built without living areas on the bottom and closed in later. Those houses are so low that the high water table floods them and there is not much anyone can do about that.
James says:
For the record, apparently I was mistakenly left off an email list that distributed NH stormwater info. I can only assume my comments above caused the Town to realize this mistake, and they’ve corrected it. Let’s hope the planned improvements work.
Nags head bob says:
Not trying to insult anyone, but choosing a lot is rather big deal. We live on a sandbar of ridges and valleys. At times water stands in the valleys. It may only happen in cycles that are decades apart, but if you are looking for a lot you need to be aware of basic hydraulics and physics. Water flows down hill. Don’t build a house in a hole.
Nags head bob says:
And to clarify, if you do build in a hole, filling the land and elevating your property can save you a lot of headaches and create some for your neighbors who maybe didn’t plan so well.
Just Me says:
O.K. Bob, That’s fine if you are building a house. I agree, don’t build a house in a hole. However if you purchase a home with vacant lots beside it, the town of Nags Head allows the vacant lot owners to elevate their lots to a level that will most definitely flood out the existing homes. Look at the new auto parts store, for example. I’ll just bet the adjoining property owners will have water issues now!
pond says:
Deluge or minor rainfall, any one that has lived here any length of time knows that there are major storm water control issues. As a matter of inconvenience or more importantly public safety concerns, the problem is real. Driving around or forced into driving through ponding water is dangerous, or worse, bacterial concerns from overwhelmed septic fields leaching into storm run off. The white elephant that sits in the town meetings is the fact that with every blade of grass that we loose to structure or lot elevation, the problem gets worse. This town has turned over billions in taxes and rental related income, while the problem has been mostly ignored. The technology has not changed much in the past 100 years, you use gravity or you move it with pumps.