Flash flooding causes damage to Columbus East High School, Wehmeier addition

Puddles of standing water are seen in a hallway near the main gymnasium at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 21, 2021. Workers from Roberts Cleaning Service and school official were on hand to assess and clean up the damage caused by flooding from the thunderstorms over the weekend. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

Noon update:

Flash flooding and a rising water level on Clifty Creek led to flooded streets in the Wehmeier addition, with some water damaging homes in the “lower” or “valley” portion of the housing area.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management Director Shannan Cooke said the flash flooding at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday caused high water on the streets near Clifty Drive and Columbus East High School, and also caused water and sewage to back up in homes due to drainage issues caused by rainfall.

Columbus officials did respond to Steinhurst Manor Apartments when residents there reported the complex did not have power and was surrounded by water, but all but one resident decided to stay in their homes. Initially the city opened a shelter at Donner Center, but only one person decided to go there, and it was closed on Sunday after that person left.

The only other evacuation Saturday was for a cabin on County Road 900N, one in a series of 10 that were surrounded by water after the Driftwood River rose rapidly. Only was cabin was occupied and individuals there were helped out of the structure, Cooke said.

An Everbridge warning was sent out to the Wehmeier addition Saturday night warning of the rising water, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. The Columbus Fire Department had several engine companies go through the neighborhood door to door to make sure residents were safe, he said.

Some residents reported knee-deep water on the roadways around Indiana Avenue, Clifty Drive, Glendale Drive and Fairview Drive, some of which went into homes.

“The neighborhood ‘valleys’ in the middle,” Wilson said of Wehmeier. “There are lower areas of that neighborhood.”

 

11:34 A.M. UPDATE:

Flash flooding resulting from about 4 inches of rain Saturday caused an estimated $1 million in damages to Columbus East High School, including damaging gym flooring.

The high school is closed so that a cleaning company can work on it, said Principal Mark Newell.

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Director of Operations Brett Boezeman said that while it’s too early to tell how long the building will be closed, some areas could be re-opened in about a week. Air quality samples will play a role in decision-making.

According to Boezeman, somewhere between 160,000-200,000 square feet may have been affected by flooding, including all athletic areas of the main building and all of the lower level. Some portions of the auditorium were also affected, but the damage there was described as minor.

While the baseball and softball fields were flooded and the damage has yet to be determined, the impact on those areas should also be “relatively minor,” he said.

The water affected “basically the whole lower level” of the building, from the gym area at the south end to the north end near the cafeteria, said Newell. On Sunday morning, the athletic area was ankle deep with water, whereas the area near the cafeteria was a couple of inches deep.

“Most of the water is gone now,” he said Monday. “It was sewer water, so the leftover is not very pleasant right now.”

Damage caused by flooding is visible in the auxiliary gym at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 21, 2021. The damage was caused by flooding from the thunderstorms and heavy rain over the weekend. Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Damage caused by flooding is visible in the auxiliary gym at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 21, 2021. The damage was caused by flooding from the thunderstorms and heavy rain over the weekend. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

As of Tuesday morning, Boezeman said that all of the standing water had been removed.

Insurance will cover damage from the flood, Newell said.

For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.

ORIGINAL STORY

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Cleanup is underway at Columbus East High School after flash flooding sent water through parts of the building, including the auxiliary gym and a portion of the auditorium, over the weekend.

Athletics director Pete Huse said the auxiliary gym floor definitely will need to be replaced. As for the main gym floor, they’ll have to wait a few days to see if it can be salvaged.

Auditorium director Kevin Welsh said that there was some water in some backstage areas and a little bit onstage. He said that of the recent auditorium renovations, the only water-affected area was the orchestra pit, which “even now still has water pouring into it and a pump pulling it out.”

Puddles of standing water are seen in a hallway near the main gymnasium at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 21, 2021. Workers from Roberts Cleaning Service and school official were on hand to assess and clean up the damage caused by flooding from the thunderstorms over the weekend. Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Puddles of standing water are seen in a hallway near the main gymnasium at Columbus East High School in Columbus, Ind., Monday, June 21, 2021. Workers from Roberts Cleaning Service and school official were on hand to assess and clean up the damage caused by flooding from the thunderstorms over the weekend. Mike Wolanin | The Republic

Flash flooding also affected several homes in the Wehmeier addition, causing 2 to 3 inches of water to enter homes. This is an area near Clifty Drive, Glendale Drive and Fairview Drive.

For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.