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Heavy rain overwhelms Kenilworth stormwater controls; city says temporary fixes in place
Summary
After roughly 2 inches of rain in an hour, erosion-control and structural BMPs failed at the Kenilworth stormwater project, flooding a house at 433 Hillwood. City staff and the contractor identified immediate fixes and said further change orders and monitoring are likely as the project moves toward completion.
Homewood city staff reported on May 19 that temporary erosion-control and structural best-management practices (BMPs) at the Kenilworth stormwater project failed during a heavy rain event, flooding a nearby house and exposing yard and foundation issues.
City staff said the rain amounted to a five- to ten-year intensity event; the house at 433 Hillwood received stormwater intrusion and soil erosion that exposed the yard and undermined sod. Staff, the contractor and the homeowner met the day of the event to implement immediate measures; another meeting followed the next day to plan permanent repairs. City staff said further change orders are likely because of unit-price adjustments in the contract.
Staff description and immediate steps Councilor Smith (staff presenter) told the finance committee that ‘‘we had two inches of rain in about an hour yesterday, which is about a five- to ten-year event for intensity. And so yesterday, John Wood's house flooded.’’ City personnel and the contractor met with the homeowner the afternoon after the storm and again the following day to secure the site and identify a path to the project’s finish line.
Contract and next steps Staff said temporary measures are in place and that contractors will likely submit change-order requests to cover additional work created by the storm and differing unit prices. Committee members agreed to continue monitoring the project and to carry the item forward to future meetings for further updates.
No formal financial appropriation or policy decision was made at the May 19 meeting; staff said they would report back as the contractor finalizes repairs and the city evaluates any change orders.
