City repairs rain-damaged road; county watches Dorian By DREW WINCHESTER Staff Writer NORTH PORT — Flooding in North Port Estates brought on by recent heavy rains dissipated over the weekend, according to city Community Outreach Manager Erin Bryce, who added there was damage to at least one roadway that city crews were working to repair. Bryce said the damage occurred on Elkrem Avenue in the Estates, when the rain eroded the roadway surrounding a pipe that ran underneath the road. She warned that the road was closed and no one should be attempting to drive on it. “The asphalt may crumble if you drive on it,” Bryce added. Crews were still assessing the damage Monday, so she did not know what the estimated cost would be to fix it, Bryce said, adding that they hope to have it repaired in the “next couple of weeks.” The road will remain closed until then. Early last week, 29 city streets reportedly had standing water or were underwater from the rains, city officials said. Meanwhile, Sarasota County Emergency Management is tracking the movement of the former Tropical Storm Dorian, which has weakened but is still on track to impact Florida in some way. County Emergency Management Director Ed McCrane said that recent flooding around the Myakka River has “calmed down,” as water levels have dropped back down to below 7 feet, when minor flooding can occur. Water levels rose as high as 8 feet on July 16, McCrane said, but a recent flood warning was canceled Monday after water levels dropped and stayed below 7 feet. But McCrane and his staff are closely watching Dorian, which could bring additional rains and flooding to the area, he said. Currently, Dorian has a 40 percent chance to reform into a tropical storm, according to McCrane. Sarasota County could expect rain from the remnants of Dorian as early as Thursday, but the amount of rain and the severity of the weather will be determined in he next few days, as it approaches Florida. “We’re just watching and waiting right now,” McCrane added. Heavy afternoon rains aren’t expected to have too much of an impact on the river, McCrane added. Email: dwinchester@sun-herald PHOTO: A look at a section of Elkrem Road in North Port Estates that was shut down due to water destroying the roadway. The road is expected to repaired and reopened in the next few weeks.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 21:56:20 +0000
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