After August floods, East Ridge moves to develop stormwater master plan and adopt updated FEMA maps

City Manager Miller told the council on Sept. 25 that the city’s stormwater network—concrete flumes, channels, culverts and limited detention—could not handle the Aug. 12 storm that produced roughly 6.7 inches of rain in parts of the city. Miller recommended the council authorize an RFQ to hire an engineering firm to develop a stormwater master plan that inventories infrastructure, identifies problem areas, sets a capital-improvement priority list, and creates a funding/revenue strategy.

Miller described at least one immediate repair estimate of about $60,000 for a damaged concrete flume on Stump Avenue and detailed a larger, sediment-clogged drainage area that could require significantly more remediation (staff cited contractor estimates in the hundreds of thousands to $250,000 or more depending on scope). Council members pressed for both short-term fixes to urgent locations and a long-term plan that would make the city eligible for state and federal grants.

In related business the council also moved to adopt an ordinance to update the city floodplain ordinance to the FEMA firm panels dated Feb. 28, 2025. Staff said the revised maps will go to the planning commission Oct. 6 and return to council for first reading the same week so the city can meet FEMA and TDEC deadlines and maintain National Flood Insurance Program eligibility.

Council supported issuing an RFQ for the stormwater master plan. Staff said the work typically takes about 12–15 months and will include an adopted maintenance policy defining public and private responsibilities, which will be necessary to secure many state and federal funding opportunities.