Some neighborhoods in the Fairbanks area have seen street corners flood due to ice blockage in storm drains.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - As above-freezing temperatures continue to melt the accumulated snow in Fairbanks , some neighborhoods in the area have seen street corners flood due to blockage in storm drains . According to Jeremiah Cotter , Public Works Director with the City of Fairbanks , many of these blockages come from ice buildup around the affected drains.
“They need to be thawed out, and we have boiler trucks that produce steam that we send down a line to melt the ice under the ground so that we can make a hole for the water to go through,” he explained. In emergencies, these boiler trucks can be accompanied by jet trucks which suck up the flood water in the area. If someone notices a flood situation happening within city limits, they are advised to call Public Works and let them know. Response time will vary, Cotter said, depending on the time of day, day of the week, or whether the situation is an emergency. “Usually when it’s about ready to damage property, like ‘it’s getting ready to come in my house, it is inches from my house, it is already coming in my house,’ those instances like that that you know that are our responsibility is deemed an emergency and we get over there to remove the water as fast as we can,” Cotter said, adding that teams will often temporarily stop work on other situations to respond to an emergency. The department can also guide those living outside city limits to the right authority, which Cotter said would be a Service Area Commissioner for drains within the Fairbanks North Star Borough’s purview and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities for floods along the major roads. Cotter said his department has opened up around 40 drains so far this year, calling it an easy season so far. He attributed the smoothness of the season to drain cleaning work that happened last summer and the temperatures dipping below freezing at night, unlike what is usually seen at this time of year. Kate McKowan-Taves, a commissioner with the College road service area, said that when they receive a flood report from a resident within their zone of responsibility, these service areas get in touch with their contractors to drain it, ultimately seeking guidance from the borough’s Rural Services department if the contractor is unable to clear out the excess water. Meanwhile, a flood at the corner of Yale Way and Dartmouth Drive in the College service area continued to sit stagnant as of Thursday afternoon.25 dead dogs found in Mat-Su residence, triggering animal cruelty probe
Fairbanks Borough Public Works Service Area Flooding Storm Drains Mckowan-Taves
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