Costly damages due to flooding in Morgan County

Emergency Management crews continue to assess flood damage throughout Morgan County. Flash flooding began Tuesday evening and lasted throughout the night. Many of the county’s bridges were covered with rushing water and one even collapsed.

“So when more rain comes, more debris gets into the bridges that makes them block up and causes the flooding over our roadways,” said Rick Bias, Morgan County Emergency Management Director. “That usually causes erosion around the edges of the bridges, but we had one that collapsed and went in because of the erosion.”

Bias said it will cost around $60,000 to replace the bridge on Seal Drive. The project is expected to take six weeks to complete.

Wednesday, work crews continued to monitor the many bridges throughout the county to prevent another collapse.

“Road crews had been there three different times already taking debris out and trying to save them,” said Bias.

He said it’s tree limbs and stones that cause erosion to the bridges and back up local creeks and streams.

“It runs off pretty quick in Morgan County, but it’s the debris that causes the problem.”

A main sewer line in Versailles also flooded over with water into the street. Road crews controlled the flooding Wednesday morning, but further repairs are needed.

Bias said that project is estimated to cost between four and five thousand dollars.