Rain and wind from the remnants of Hurricane Katrina downed some trees in Princeton and Caldwell County Tuesday, but the widespread flooding that came with pre-Katrina rains Friday was not repeated.
The heaviest rain, which began Monday night and extended until mid-afternoon Tuesday, came much slower than Friday’s downpour, and the city’s retention basins and sinkholes were able, for the most part, to contain it.
That rainfall, on ground already nearly saturated from Friday’s floods, caused water to pond in certain parts of the city, but it did not approach the reach of Friday’s storms, which left more than a foot of water in some city homes.
The remnants of Katrina, which were moving northeast and out of the area, were also blamed for some downed trees in the city, most on private property.
City Clerk Julie Hooks said the phones in City Hall had been fairly quiet Tuesday, unlike last week, when the rain and flooding provoked a number of complaints.
“This rain hasn’t caused any extra ones,” Hooks said.
City Public Works Department crews were out early Tuesday morning to prepare for whatever rain the tropical depression would dish out.
Work crews canvassed the city’s drainage system to make sure ditches and culverts were free from obstructions, cleaning out drainage tiles, and securing sandbags, in case flooding like Friday’s returned.
“They haven’t stopped,” said Hooks.
Public Works Superintendent David Sullenger said trees were the department’s main concern Tuesday afternoon.
Crews began their day at about 4:45 a.m. dealing with reports of downed trees in the city.
Two trees were downed on Maple Avenue, and other sizable trees fell on South Harrison Street and Akers Avenue, he said.
Several other, smaller trees were reported downed across the city.
Public Works crews kept a close eye on the city’s retention basins and sinkholes Tuesday afternoon.
By 2:15 p.m., water on Downs Street had risen to the edge of the roadway, but appeared to be holding.
“As long as it’s not in the road, we’re all right,” said Sullenger. “Really, I think we’ve fared pretty well.”
Credit for the relative lack of problems Tuesday can be attributed in part to the hours city crews spent Monday clearing debris out of creeks and retention basins.
Sullenger said the department’s workers hauled about 20 loads of debris out of the retention network in preparation for the hurricane’s leftovers.
• County Emergency Management Director David Crenshaw said he had received no major damage reports in the county from Monday’s and Tuesday’s weather events.
Some secondary roads near the Trigg and Christian County lines were reported closed because of flooding, but residents had alternate routes and were not trapped, he said.
The rain and winds the hurricane’s remnants spawned were nothing out of line with a regular summer storm, he said.
A flood watch remained in effect until 7 p.m. Tuesday for Caldwell County. After that, though, forecasts call for the rain to cease. No rain is predicted through the Labor Day holiday.
The hurricane that battered Louisiana and Mississippi led to a hike in local gas prices Tuesday.
By lunchtime Tuesday, local stations had raised their prices by about a dime.
Further increases may follow as the effects of the hurricane on the nation’s oil supply are gauged.
