When floodwaters inundated city streets and businesses in Rockmart on May 3, it was a once-in-centuries event, according to Rockmart Mayor Sherman Ross.
Ross during his official comments for the month at the Rockmart City Council session on Tuesday evening, May 11, said that the city responded with all hands to try and stem the rising waters caused by the sudden downpour that left the city with six inches of rainfall in just a two hour timeframe caused an unprecedented flash flood.
“We consulted with our engineer, and we may have experienced a 500 year flood,” Ross said. “Six to six and a half inches of rain in a two hour period. (We had) places that had never sustained any water issues sustained massive water issues.”
Praise for the public works and other departments for their hard work during the stormy weather and aftermath was heaped upon city employees.
“(Public Works) got on it,” Ross said. “Our City Manager designee was at the Water Treatment Plant overnight Monday… It was a team effort to make sure everything got taken care of and our citizens were served.”
He said the aftermath of the flood left behind flooded businesses and did damage to storage areas for the Rockmart Theatre as well causing costumes and props to be waterlogged.
Sherman Ross State Farm Insurance’s basement was among those that had to be pumped out following the flooding in Rockmart. I
Other council members added their appreciation for the hard work put in by city employees last week as well.
Flooding on May 3 also impacted low lying areas of the county as a whole and forced the closure of several roads which were covered by rising creeks as well.
