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Summerville High flooded in August storm; district coordinates with town and county on stormwater fixes
Summary
District staff showed photos of rapid flooding at Summerville High on Aug. 22 that inundated the ROTC building, tennis courts and track. Staff said town and county stormwater officials will clean ditches and consider replacing pipes on Greenway Boulevard; a public commenter requested the ROTC flood video and asked for clearer updates on property dispositions related to pond land.
District operations staff presented photos and details of a rapid, damaging flood at Summerville High during a heavy rain on Aug. 22, and described steps the district and local stormwater authorities will take to reduce future risk.
Speaker 3 (Operations staff) said the storm was intense and short: “Everybody's aware we had a really bad, rainstorm on the August 22.” He showed images the district captured of the ROTC building and nearby athletic areas, saying the water rose quickly — within about 30 minutes — and covered tennis courts and much of the football field. Speaker 3 said apartments across the street flooded and that the event had occurred in areas that have flooded from lesser rainfalls in recent weeks.
Staff told the board they met with county and town stormwater divisions; Speaker 3 said the town agreed to clean ditches in its jurisdiction and that if problems persist the district will contact DOT to identify further steps. Speaker 3 also described a proposal for Greenway Boulevard — replacing two pipes that currently drain the practice field with a box culvert — which town stormwater staff reportedly will pursue to improve flow.
Speaker 4 (Facilities staff) warned of repeated damage if flooding continues, noting the district had engaged disaster cleanup services to remove water and dry buildings after the event and that turf, track and tennis courts are at risk if the pattern repeats. Speaker 4 said the district is monitoring the cleaned areas and hoping the town and county maintenance work will reduce recurrence.
During public comment, Speaker 5 requested “a copy of the video for the ROTC, flooding that was shown here” and asked whether the board had reached public conclusions about five or six district properties previously discussed by Dr. Robbins, seeking clarity about disposition status. The commenter also urged the district to provide more upfront information about land negotiations near the ponds to reduce the likelihood of strong public backlash later.
Next steps: the district said it will continue coordination with town and county stormwater staff, pursue infrastructure options (including culvert replacement on Greenway Boulevard if appropriate) and provide updates on any decisions related to pond land or property disposition as they become available.
