Laurel outlook., 1944-06-21

a committee from the city council
and representatives of the Laurel
Commercial club to revive and in
tensify a standing proposal to avoid
future occurrences by providing
adequate storm drainage.
An unusually heavy rain lasting
throughout Friday afternoon, ac-
companied by damaging hail, quick
ly converted low areas into lakes.
Cutters and even whole streets be-
came turbulent muddy streams
carrying a burden of leaves and
twigs, together with hail and re-
fuse. The Friday afternoon storm
continued several hours, and in
lessened intensity lasted through
the week end. Although flash
floods are not common occurrences
they do come at intervals, as Lau-
rel history reveals, and officials
are now concerned with the problem
of preventing the accompanying
damage and inconvenience.
The condition here was not con-
fined to the city. The storm was
widespread. Extensive damage to
growing crops in the surrounding
agricultural areas have been report
cd as result of the hail and rain
late last week.
A Joint committee from the city
council and Commercial club made
survey of the situation Saturday,
and as a result Mayor Thomson
submitted a recommendation Tues
day at a meeting of the council that
a conference of representatives of
the city, Yellowstone county, state
highway commission and the North
ern Pacific be held here in the near
future for agreement on a line of
action to prevent accumulation of
water in the low areas.
In his recommendation to the
council, Thompson visiOned adequate
run-off for water both in the city
and the Immediately surrounding
districts.
His statement was as follows:
"The past two weeks have been
a very rainy season, and on that
account conditions in the city have
been very bad. Part of the time
the water came in from outside the
city and at other times it originat-
ed within the city. In both in
stances Main street was flooded,
the underpass was filled so it could
not be used and the residential dis
-rict east of Alder avenue was over
flowed. An engineer from the
department was here Fri
lay. He came at the request of
he city officials because his worker
lad pulled the gate east of the
Perry store, which permitted the
water to run to the north side of
he highway instead of continuing
IN the south side of the highway.
The highway department does not
eel it is it's full responsibility to
axe care of the water flowing from
he city's storm sewer, and the en-
yineer SO informed me at that time.
"a group of business men and
wO members of the city council
md some other residents of the
ity looked over the situation Fri
lay evening. All were in favor of
he city making a study of the
Irainage problem to see if a plan
an be worked out to remedy the
rainage situation in the city and
utside of the city also.
"The Commercial club has a COM
nittee appointed to study flood con-
rol, and this committee with city
has been over the territory
nd undertook to get federal aid,
ut this has not resulted in any
ction, and as a matter of fact aid
is now out of the picture
81 think the city of Laurel, yell
1wstOne county, the state highway
ommission and the Northern Paci-
lc Railway company should be
allied into a meeting in Laurel to
ee what can be done to remedy the
Iood conditions which have prevail
d during the past two weeks and
n several occasions heretofore.
There are three things to be
Onsidered: First, to prevent the
ood waters from outside coming
ito the city; secondly, to relieve
he residential district lying east
Alder avenue from the dump
lg of water from Main street into
rat part of the city, and thirdly,
roviding Main street with relief
rom flood waters that accumulate
lere from the residential portions
the city lying north thereof.
81 submit this matter for your
and study before the
difference is held as above men
nrnd -