Almost 3ft deep in the street a little way past the red house!
Tuesday morning (July 19, 2011) we woke up to some of the worst flooding this area has ever seen. By many accounts, it was the worst.
Several houses along the creek which runs along Linwood SW got heavily damaged. In some spots on Linwood, the water was close to 3 feet high in the middle of the street. On the other side of the creek (Furbee and Lucille) the water was even higher in places. For some folks, this was the second or third time this year that they’ve had wet houses. This year has been crazy. Adding insult to injury this time, the sewers backed up on several houses as well.
Today is Friday (22 July 2011). We have been hosting dinnertime picnics every evening since and will do so for the next few days as long as it provides a service to the neighborhood. The flooded people have been busting their tails to clean up and we figure we can help in a small way by taking one hassle (dinner) away for them.
We’ve had several past and present neighbors donate food and cash for food. Many of the donors didn’t even stick around long enough to leave their name. How cool is that?!? A great big THANK YOU to them!
The City of North Canton and few local companies have been helping out as well…
We’d like to thank Acme who donated a $75 gift card to Girl Scout Troop 529 who bought 24 cases of water with it. The Scouts distributed some of the bottled water Tuesday morning and others have taken up the task since. Thank you Acme and GS Troop 529!
We’d like to thank the City of North Canton for placing the “Porta-Potties” (as visually appealing they may be…) on Tuesday. These gave residents and workers a ‘place to go’ without adding to the already backing up sewer system.
We’ve noticed a Red Cross vehicle out here several times handing out water and cleanup kits and generally checking in on the area. Thank you Red Cross!
Hungry Howie’s Pizza matched a 3 pizza order by a donor on Tuesday (19 Jul). Thank you Hungry Howie’s!
Chicken Manor matched a large order of chicken, jojos and rigatoni on Thursday (21 Jul). Thank you Chicken Manor!
This page is planned to be an information source as the cleanup effort continues and in the aftermath. Comments are welcome (let me know if you have pics/videos you want to share).
Yesterday (Sat 23 Jul) we were treated to a pizza party courtesy of The Honorable David Held, Mayor of North Canton and his family. Several residents took the opportunity to chat with the Mayor in an informal setting. I’ll post more on that later. It was good.
Thank you Mayor and Mrs. Held! Your pizza and your presence was very much appreciated.
Tonight (Sun 24 Jul) we are being sponsored by the Tuslaw 4-H. They asked a couple days ago if they could host. Getting close to eating time and the noodles (tonight’s feature) are smelling wonderful! Thank you so much, Tuslaw 4-H!
Hi Paul & Cindy- What a great idea this is! First of all, on behalf of the neighborhood thank you for all that you did during our crisis. The dinners that you hosted each evening after the flood were a bright spot to our otherwise dreary days. This was a difficult time for all those involved. I was told that there were about 40 houses affected just in the North Canton area. For those of us immediately affected, we were hoping for some answers to our many questions. So far I haven’t rec’d any that I liked. While Bob & I try to rebuild our home, each day we ask ourselves- why? What is the point of doing all of this knowing that it will just happen again. As I was told, it is not a question of if it will happen again but when. So this is what we have to look forward to each time it rains? Standing in our basements wondering- will this time be as bad as the great flood of July 2011? I dont even feel comfortable living in the bottom 2 levels of our house! The way I see it, why should I put anything of value down there because it will eventually be destroyed. I dont want to live like that. The other thing that worries me is that there were houses affected in this flood that were never even touched in previous floods which means these floods will only be getting worse. I have been inquiring about a buyout by the city of North Canton. I was told that this might be possible but would be a very slow process & could take years which to me sounded hopeless until a few days ago. I found out that the Pathway Caring for Children building on 6370 Wise Avenue in North Canton was just bought out because it had been flooded several times. I think that a precedent has been set & we as victims should find out as much as we can in order to have the same done in our area & declare it a water shed. I want to have our neighborhood flood be addressed as quickly as this one was before we sink any more money into these houses that are obviously doomed. The OEMA (Ohio Emergency Management Agency) sounds like a great place to start to get quick & effective action. I was told that if enough of us call our Ohio State Representative- Kirk Schuring (614)752-2438, the Disaster Recovery Branch Chief -Greg Keller (614)799-3669 or the Chief of Staff -Jessie Baker (614)799-3675 maybe we will get some quicker action. Thanks-Maria
Margaret and I lived at 701 for 20 years and never saw anything so bad. We moved there in 1978 and were told that the creek had been dredged a year or two prior and the flooding problem was solved. After we lived there a few years, we heard “the rest of the story”. We were told that before the creek was dredged, the floods were common place and the water often reached the street. Lenny and Ricki Randall have lived there for many years and might have knowledge if this is true or not. I wonder if after 35 years the creek needs to be cleaned out again???
We now live 3/4 mile down stream but on higher ground. The folks in our condo developement were unable to get out because Salway was flooded. The poor guy living at the end of Salway really got hit with water up to the joists in his basement. So in order to do any good, the entire drainage ditch would need dug out probably all the way to Canton. Adding some retention basins north of Price Park would help too.
We loved our home and did our best to take good care of it. We never imagined anything like this could happen. I know the folks that bought it have sunk money into it too and made it their home. You should all be able to depend on the expertise and wisdom of our county engineers to keep your homes safe from this kind of mess and heartbreak.
Just had another thought………Your creek (as you probably know) is called the Zimber Drainage Ditch. On the south side of Everhard (where I live) the name is changed to McDonald Drainage Ditch. A few years back, the county – city – or whomever, was clearing trees along the railroad to install some kind of pipeline. Some of the trees fell into the ditch and they just left them there to block the flow. Our condo association spent a few thousand dollars to have them removed for fear that they might some day cause a problem. Perhaps the county should inspect the rest of the ditch south of us to ensure that there are no other obstructions to impede the flow.
We (Harmon st SW)residents have also been hit with this water..not once but twice. The last of Feb. beginning of March, we had water in our basement after the crazy snow then down pour of rain. Then the same thing happened through our sewer again! Our daughter’s room is down there and our kids playroom. We lost so much during the first flood! I didnt call our insurance again because I knew they would drop us with 2 claims in 4 months. North Canton has a moral claim that I am filling out soon. It covers up to $2500 per claim. I filed a claim with the city..I guess the state and federal govt. is involved. Either way, I know MANY people effected by this problem..even those on 5th st SW.(Up by Main St). My neighbor just had a drain flap put in at their pipe underground. I called City Hall to see if this would be covered under my moral claim..I will let you know if it is. This problem is not solved and I do not have a faulty foundation. It was all sewer related and I am very afraid it will keep happening. My heart goes out to you on Linwood and through that area. We did not get it to our rafters! Either way..this must be fixed..my neighbor has lived here 59 years and she can recall 1 problem..not 2 in 4 months! We have been here 10..never a problem, why now?
Tricia and I live on the corner of Glenwood and Linwood and also had water almost to the second level of the house on 7/19/11. We estimate our loss around $35,000 with the vast majority not covered by insurance.
We were wondering if anyone in past years have tried to band together and hire a lawyer to sue North Canton/Stark Co. in order to motivate action? We have heard several “excuses” such as “EPA won’t allow dredging” to “it will cost millions to fix Everhard Rd.” We plan on attending the council meeting on August 22 at 7:00 p.m. and hope you all do as well. We have contacted our Reps and Senators (both federal and state) to ask for assistance in this issue.
We won’t get treated like Pathway.We should not fix our homes until they fix the ditch.We should withhold our real state taxes.How long do you think it would take the city to take us to court,condemn our homes for open wiring,open plumbing,and no walls inside.Maybe we all should move out ,and leave the city with the cost to knock them down.
Everytime is rains, as it is now, I wonder, what will the creek do???? How high will the water get? Has anyone contacted Jon Snyder? We all should get up to city hall on Aug. 22 7:00pm and make some noise. We live on Middlesworth. But we feel so bad about this horribe situation. We have lived here for 30yrs.
This special meeting (see the notice on the front page about Meeting 22 Aug. -Paul) means nothing.It is done to let the victims vent on some one.It is a ploy to retain votes for all the city leaders.They know there is nothing they can do,because the waters ways in the county are the responsibility of the county.The county could care less.They are more worried about the jail,and the low life in there than flood victims.Have you seen any county officials in the neighborhood looking to help?Go vent if you like.Then go vote in November.Vote against everyone in office at the present time.I mean everyone city,county,and state.I don’t care if they have a(D)or (R) after their name.
My name is Eric Belden, Executive Director of Pathway Caring for Children. Pathway along with each of you have experienced three separate floods since Feb 28th, and believe me each and every staff member at Pathway understands and appreciates all you are going through. In these three floods we have experienced around $1.5 million is losses, with the flood on July 19th ruining everything in our building, a complete and total loss for our organization.
I would like to take the opportunity to clear up a misunderstanding in a few of the comments above. Pathway HAS NOT been bought out by FEMA, we did however move to a temporary location. We are going through the same process as the first two floods, we need to demo the inside our of facility and begin the reconstruction process.
I can promise you that Pathway is still going to be a large part of these conversations as we hope to work with each of you to help find a solution to the “Zimber Ditch”. Pathway owns the building and property and we have a lot at stake in these conversations. Although, I can’t personally make the meeting on Monday, our CSO and your neighbor Wendy Tracy will be there to represent Pathway, the 70 staff members, board members and the community we serve. I hope this will help answer any questions you have about Pathway and where we stand, which is arm and arm with you!
If you have any questions, you can call me at 330.493.0083.
Thank you Eric, for piping up and clarifying.
-Paul
On March 16, 2009 a letter came out to residents of Linwood Avenue SW – stating Jon Snyder (Councilman, Ward 4) was successful in having the Council send a Resolution of Support to the Stark County Commissions requesting cleanup of the Zimber Ditch. This reolution states it has been at least 28 years since the Ditch was dredged. That it poses potential flooding risk for residential & businesses, etc., etc.
The resolution winds up stating “the combination of a watershed with steep topography and a high percentage of high runoff commercial and industrial developments make the Zimbar a far more urgent and ominour situation.”
What happened??? Has anyone heard any more from this??
We had four foot of water in our lower level. We lost about everything that was down there. It was heartbreaking.
Using Google Earth, I took a look at my past residence at 701 Linwood. When we first moved in (1978), the creek ran in a straight path across the back lot line. Now the creek takes a curved path around the lot line probably due to the culvert that dumps out between the two properties. I could see the soil that was deposited there causing the lot to become larger. Originally the lot line ran down the middle of the creek. It is clear to me that if the creek had been dredged on a regular basis, there would have been much less flooding of this area. The drainage ditch isn’t draining enough (duh). Don’t let “them” pull the wool over.