North Port works to fix eroded water control structures to help make them stronger before future storms
NORTH PORT, Fla. - As Hurricane Ian slowly moved through North Port, heavy winds and rain followed. Areas that were already saturated with water began to experience flooding.
The City of North Port said its water control structures did their job despite some erosion. Now, work is underway to fix the damage and make them stronger.
"The water was all the way up to the crease up here. I was lucky," said North Port resident Sun Teav.
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Floodwaters made their way onto Espanola Avenue and stopped right before Teav’s front door.
"All the street up here was full of water, you can’t get through," he said.
Other North Port residents weren't so fortunate. The streets show water lines and people’s belongings that were soaked, now sit out in the trash.
"It’s a 500-year storm. Five hundred means .2% of happening in any given year," said Elizabeth Wong, the City of North Ports storm water manager.
As Hurricane Ian sat on top of North Port, heavy rains filled the Big Slough.
"A very big footprint on this storm threw a lot of rain over a huge water shed. Starts in Desoto, Manatee, Sarasota County and all that water comes at us in North Port, has to come through North Port, and we are not designed for a 500-year storm, so water level rose in all our canals, ditches, much higher than we ever imagined," said Wong.
Flooding occurred throughout North Port, making some wonder if a break at the water control structure had occurred.
Wong said that did not happen, but structures did experience erosion.
"Because it was so high, it topped the berm and eroded the soft berm and around the structure," said Wong.
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Immediately the city began working on a fix. Sheet piling was installed to stabilize the bank, new concrete was added to the current structure and rock is being laid to stop any future damage.
"All of that will control erosion," said Wong.
For a structure designed decades ago, the city hopes the fixes will stand up to any future storm.
"It’s going to be a very strong bank when we are done with it," said Wong.