ALERT! - Clifton Lagoon Prepares For Flooding

[Jim O'Bryan]

The warm temperatures and rain have created the potential for flooding of the Clifton Lagoons. The Lakewood Division of Fire is delivering letters to residents of the Clifton Lagoons advising them of the potential for flooding, explaining the procedures that will be followed and encouraging residents to be vigilant in monitoring changing conditions.

The following procedure will be followed in the event an ice jam on the Rocky River causes flooding. Any time the roads to the Clifton Lagoons become impassable due to flooding or ice chunks, a distinct hazard is created. The blockage of the roads will prevent emergency response vehicle from entering the Lagoons. Because of this hazard, the electric power and gas service to the Lagoon area will be shut off at the top of the hill. Per local ordinance and state law, all residents will be ordered to evacuate and the area will be secured at the top of the hill by the Lakewood Police Department. Residents are reminded to bring medications, pets or any other necessary items with them in the event of an evacuation.

The City of Lakewood continually plans and prepares for this type of situation. Each year, the City participates in the Harbor Dredge Committee meeting which brings together the Coast Guard, city officials from Lakewood and Rocky River, the Department or Natural Resources, MetroParks, Army Corps of Engineers, the Cleveland Yacht Club and others to discuss the current harbor situation.

[David Lay]

Should I be ready to photograph any potential damage?

[Stan Austin]

David--- I think that the time period of the greatest threat is in the next 3 hours or so. The rain is subsiding now but the rain won't be over until tomorrow. And, the TV media is on a "death watch" down there now.
Stan

[David Lay]

Well, I'm at home, so I can go down there if the need be.

[c. dawson]

I think it's interesting that someone can come to this site and read the information about the possible flooding easily ... should one go to the Lakewood Buzz website, you have to be a member and sign in to read this rather serious information. You think something like this or any other public service message would be available there too, for anyone who is interested even if they're not a member ... but I guess not.

Kudos Jim, for making all this info open to anyone and everyone.

[Rhonda loje]

I was down there about noon and the firemen were going door to door leaving information to Lagoon Residents and getting information from any residents down there.

Also there was a Dominion truck down there evaluating the situation.

The blockage was stopped at Sweetwater Landings.

Bill Davis has been down there already to take some pictures and said there were newscrews and firetrucks down there. He's the expert...and thinks there will be a major problems when the blockage gets to the mouth of the river (which is really frozen).

I'm sure Bill will keep us posted. He was going back this afternoon.

I'm going back tomorrow morning sometime.

[Tim Liston]

My wife and I were living in one of the smaller boathouses down there when the last flood struck. I think it was 1994. We had four feet of water in the first floor. The only saving grace is, most of those places have the main living quarters on the upper floors. Our kitchen, living room, etc. were on the 2nd floor. We were renters.

Nonetheless I spent a couple sleepless nights wondering what I had left downstairs. The stereo and all the “recordsâ€Â￾ (remember them?). The VHS camcorder (remember VHS?). A 19â€Â￾ TV set.

It happened on a Friday, we were at work. We got back into our place late Saturday morning, pulled everything from the first floor onto the driveway, and set about the process of sorting through stuff, some we tossed, some we cleaned up. We were back in Sunday afternoon. I was shocked that the gas company was able to get our furnace restarted.

Other than the flood, living down there was really fun. I tell people there are three seasons down there. Summer, which is alive with activity. Winter, during which the Lagoons is practically deserted. And Scarab tuning season. That's the two weeks in late April where all the powerboat owners fire them up for the first time. There's nothing louder than twin 350HP Mercs full throttle in a boatwell.

I'll never forget when we moved in. The first Monday I was there, I bought a dozen crawlers, baited a hook, walked out from the downstairs family room to the end of the dock, dropped the hook into the water, unwound line while walking back into the family room, sat down on the couch (rod in hand), and watched Monday Night Football and drank beer while fishing. Didn't catch anything. There's nothing in that water you'd want to catch anyway. Some gargantuan carp. Ask me nicely and I'll give you my dad's carp recipe. Chef Goeff might wanna whip some up.

Living down there literally over the water was a lot like being on vacation every day. But we moved out in late 1995 after having our second child, and moved “up the hill.â€Â￾ We miss it a lot. We'll never forget the flood though. The ice machine from the marina upstream ended up in the river right near our place, stuck in the ice. It's probably still down there at the bottom now. I hope it doesn't happen again.

[David Lay]

I'm going back tomorrow morning sometime.

Hit me up when you go...I'll go with ya!