Flash Flooding in Wellman

Residents along 1st, 2nd, 3rd Streets and 10th Avenue in Wellman, were notified at 2 a.m. that Smith Creek was out of its banks and flooding was imminent.
Wellman Volunteer Fire Fighters, despite having two feet of water in their own building, were out notifying and rescuing residents from their homes.
Wellman had 6 inches of rain within a few hours Monday night.
City Administrator Dave Ross said at least three people had 8-10 feet of water in their basement and city officials were still trying to assess damages as of press time Tuesday.
Ross said the fire department will be looking at immediate and long term solutions to the flooding of their building. “It’s ugly down there,” he said.
Ginkgo Avenue, on the south end of town, was closed as water was over the road between 1st and 2nd Street, blocking the southern entrance to Wellman.
City Clerk Donna Wade said she hadn’t seen it this bad since the floods of ‘93.
Mayor Ryan Miller signed a disaster declaration Tuesday to facilitate the city’s obtaining state and federal disaster funds.
Ross said the American Red Cross delivered emergency clean-up kits to City Hall which are available to anyone with damage.
For a short period of time the wastewater treatment plant was bypassed because it was 100 percent underwater. Ross said the DNR was notified.
City and fire crews spent the rest of Tuesday assessing and evaluating damages.