City to offer curbside cleanup to aid flood victims
City of Bartlesville staff will begin conducting FEMA required Substantial Damage Estimate inspections of properties located in the special flood hazard area that were affected by this week’s flooding, said Director of Engineering/Floodplain Administrator Micah Siemers. Inspections will begin Thursday (May 23) and continue until complete.
“These inspections are in accordance with FEMA regulations and included in the Bartlesville Municipal Code,” Siemers said. “We are in the process of posting letters on flooded structures containing the information these property owners need to proceed with making needed repairs to re-enter their homes.”
Siemers said property owners will be contacted so staff can gain access into the structures to complete the inspections. (There may be additional requirements for properties that sustain damages exceeding 50 percent of the property value.) Any property owner wishing to schedule the inspection may contact the Engineering Department at 918.338.4251.
Also, any work or repairs made to drywall, electrical systems, outlets, heat or air conditioning units and/or water heaters require a building permit before the work begins, Siemers said. Permits can be obtained on the second floor of City Hall, 401 S. Johnstone Ave. The inspection fees for these permits will be waived.
In an effort to assist those affected by the flooding, the City of Bartlesville will provide curbside cleanup for flooded properties once the Substantial Damage Inspections are complete.
“This cleanup service should start on Tuesday, May 28,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “We understand these flood events take a toll on many of our citizens so we want to do everything we can to help minimize that. We will do our best to expedite the permit and inspection process due to this flooding. We appreciate everyone’s patience and coordination during this difficult time.”
Several streets were closed earlier this week due to flooding. The following streets are closed as of today (May 23):
- State Highway 123 between Bartlesville and Dewey
- Tuxedo Boulevard between Wyandotte and the Caney River
- North of Cudahy and east of Woodrow and between Park and Johnstone about a block south of Cudahy
- North of Lupa between Cass and Santa Fe
- Between Choctaw and the Caney River south of Eight Street
- North of Hensley/Tuxedo from Wyandotte to Comanche
- Hillcrest from 20th Street to Kane Hill
- Herrick from Virginia to West Cheyenne
- Virginia from Lupa north to the Oak Park Addition
- Polaris west of Silver Lake Road
- Circle Mountain from Johnstone Avenue
Also, several homes have been or could be affected in the Kenilworth Addition on Hampden Road and Hampden Square west of the intersection of the two roads.
The last major flooding event in Bartlesville occurred in July 2007, when the Caney River crested at 21.5 feet, causing a fairly significant amount of localized flooding.
This is compared to a crest of 19.1 feet with the current event — a crest nearly two feet lower than the 2007 event.
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began yesterday steadily increasing releases at Hulah and Copan lakes,” Siemers said. “They are currently releasing 8,100 cubic feet of water per second from Hulah, with gates still closed at Copan. Their current goal is to maintain a 16-foot flood stage, if possible, at Bartlesville. Releases from the lakes may increase as capacity of the river allows. This is constantly being re-evaluated based on current predictions.”