Northport Approves Drainage Study After Devastating Two-Mile Creek Flooding

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council on Monday unanimously approved to contract with a firm to conduct a drainage study on Two-Mile Creek, which comes nearly a year after a devastating flood last June, in addition to other less-severe flooding events.

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Birmingham-based Kimley-Horn & Associates was awarded the contract for the hydraulic evaluation study of drainage structures along the creek, with the cost of the study not to exceed $116,200. The initiative is aimed at helping the city better understand how it can best protect its citizens from unexpected acts of nature, like the June 19, 2021 flood.

The study is not expected to last longer than a year.

"Most people that have been affected by this creek took the risk of living in a flood plain with the possibility of flooding occurring," Council President Jeff Hogg told Patch ahead of Monday's meeting. "However, if there is anything the city could do legally and financially to help aid this situation, we stand ready to assist."

The firm says the study will look at the extent of the creek, along with its tributaries, with the results serving as a tool to help city leaders determine management strategies, potential infrastructure improvements, and any other needs for future consideration.

City Engineer Tera Tubbs explained how many federal grants — especially those through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) — require a drainage study and a mitigation plan before municipalities can receive reimbursement for eligible projects.

As Patch reported in July 2021, a total of 96 homes were impacted in some way by the June flooding event, with five houses destroyed and 38 sustaining major damage. At the time, officials estimated $2.94 million in damage for Northport from the event, along with $409,418 in damage in the City of Tuscaloosa.

In all, 17 people were evacuated during the flooding, with 21 seeking shelter at Northport Baptist and another 11 classified as "displaced."

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