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More than 2 inches causes traffic woes, closed streets, wet basements and frayed nerves in area
By Bill Lilley
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Thursday, Feb 07, 2008
BARBERTON: Ruth Dillon sat in her house on 14th Street N.W. in Barberton Wednesday and watched television.
She was unable to drive her F-150 pickup truck out her driveway on the city's flooded west side.
''I'm a prisoner in my own home,'' said Dillon, who has lived in the house 40 years.
A few doors away, Brenda Collins sat by the front window of her house — a prisoner of fear.
''I just sit here praying it won't rain anymore,'' Collins said. ''The flooding hasn't reached our house, but I can't go anywhere because if it does rain, the water will get here soon and my basement will be a disaster.''
Warm weather combined with heavy rain Tuesday and Wednesday made the homes along the flooded street become lakefront properties.
''You can see fish that normally are in Wolf Creek swimming up 14th Street,'' Dillon said, half laughing and half crying.
And with more than 2 inches of rain falling throughout the region, Barberton was not alone in contending with closed streets, flooded basements and frayed nerves.
The Cuyahoga River at Old Portage in the Merriman Valley exceeded flood stage by nearly 2 feet. A number of
roads were closed, including several in the Valley area. Even portions of the Towpath Trail had to be closed.
Barberton Service Director Elwood Palmer said they are working with Summit County officials to come up with a plan to alleviate chronically flooded areas in his city.
Barber Road also had to be closed for a time from just south of Interstate 76 to Norton Avenue.
Norton police were busy Wednesday issuing tickets to those drivers who ignored road closed signs.
''We were getting hammered with complaints from people about cars getting stuck in the water,'' said a Norton patrolman. ''We put out the road closed signs and people still tried to get through.''
Barberton High School Principal Kirk Koennecke said the flooding and subsequent closing of nearby Barber Road created headaches for staff, students and buses who usually use the roadway.
Donald Dillon said he probably could have navigated the highwater in front of his home in the family's truck.
''I could drive the truck out, but every time a car or truck goes into the water, it creates waves and they go up against the other houses all along the flood zone on 14th Street,'' he said. ''I don't want to do that to my neighbors.''
Collins said she and neighbors have complained for years about the flooding problems from the nearby creek.
The city might say a solution is being worked out, but Collins said it can't come soon enough.
''We're the low-lying area and we get all the water,'' she said.
Palmer said it seems that the floods are becoming more frequent, but all the city can do for now is send out crews to help residents cope with the problem.
''We're at the mercy of God right now,'' he said.
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Bill Lilley can be reached at 330-996-3811 or blilley@thebeaconjournal.com.
BARBERTON: Ruth Dillon sat in her house on 14th Street N.W. in Barberton Wednesday and watched television.
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