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Herald file photo courtesy of Sandi Brandes
An aerial photograph of flooding in the Marais des Cygnes River and Ottawa’s Forest Park shows the impact of rainfall that brought Ottawa its third highest flood stage on record.
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TOP STORY NO. 1: Flooded river tops list of important stories
By BRIAN WILLIAMS, Herald Staff Writer
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Lack of water seemed to be the last thing on the minds of Franklin County residents in 2007.
The Marais des Cygnes River spilled onto the Main Street bridge in Ottawa not once but twice, registering the sixth and the third highest river levels ever recorded.
Cameras and cell phones flashed the evening of May 7 as people lined both sides of Main Street to capture mementos of being there when the flood gates closed in 2007. Little did they know this was practice for the summer.
The Marais des Cygnes reached the flood stage of 31 feet at 7 a.m. May 7 and had risen to 34.51 feet at 9 p.m. when the City of Ottawa public works department closed the flood gates on Main Street. The water level peaked at 10 a.m. May 8 with a height of 36.70 feet. The gates were reopened the night of May 8.
July 1, the Marais des Cygnes crested to 41.00 feet which ranked as the third highest mark behind 42.91 feet on July 11, 1951, and 41.50 feet July 13, 1844.
About 15 to 20 homes in Ottawa had to be evacuated, Alan Radcliffe, Franklin County Emergency Management director, said in a Herald article.
Other evacuations around Franklin County included 10 to 15 homes in Rantoul, 15 homes at Lane, about 10 west of Ottawa along K-68 and a few others in the county, Radcliffe said.
Five houses in Franklin County were destroyed by the flooding, according to damage assessment by the Kansas Adjutant General’s office.
Twenty houses in Franklin County received major damage and 23 had minor damage, the state said. Twenty-one houses were affected but not considered damaged, the state said.
Ottawa facilities that were damaged or experienced flooding included the Don Woodward Community Center, the Ottawa Law Enforcement Center basement, the power plant basement, Forest Park and the Orlis Cox Complex, Wynndee Lee, interim city manager, said in a Herald article.
Community events had to evolve to accommodate the deluge. Cowboys Days scheduled for June 30 and July 1 stayed the course until Forest Park was evacuated at 3 p.m. June 30.
The Ottawa Jaycees fireworks demonstration was moved from Forest Park to the Orlis Cox Complex July 4.
Effects of the summer flood lingered on into fall.
Several county roads were closed for weeks after flood waters washed away portions of pavement. Several motorists were involved in accidents on barricaded roads including a fatality July 15 on Idaho Road.
The north flood gates on the Main Street bridge were closed Nov. 4 for few adjustments to help the gates lock better, Andy Haney, City of Ottawa public works director, said in a Herald article.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had closed the gates during the overnight hours Oct. 4 for an inspection. The inspection revealed a need for adjustments to the gate that should help lock it easier, Haney said.
The city of Lane looked to the future by closing Main Street Sept. 6 for a community covered-dish celebration.
“It’s a celebration of the community and the spirit that this won’t happen again,” Karl Kelsey, a member of the Pottawatomie Ruritans and the Ruritan National board of directors, said in a Herald article.
Several families in Lane suffered extensive flood damage to their homes. The National Ruritan Foundation donated $2,000 in immediate relief from the foundation’s “Operation We Care” assistance program. Later, the Ruritans received a check for $28,500 that was divided evenly between seven families in Lane, one in Iola and one in Humboldt, Kelsey said.
“The money part of it, I’m sure it helps, but I’m not sure it heals. There’s some things you can’t replace,” Kelsey said. “Imagine a lifetime accumulation of family photos. Some things may not have an intrinsic value, but have lots of sentimental value.”
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