Flooding in Montellano - Photos

CFA123 said:

The 'fix' for the river in Montellano actually seems to have increased the flooding, with water reaching homes it never has before.

Photos: Flickr: Photos from www.sacandomelao.com

Montellano community website: portada

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I would be interested in what that "fix" would be as I'm a civil engineer.

Also, I'm a little doubtful about the drainage design as it is done here in the DR because I talked with a couple of the principle engineers her of a large and respectable civil engineering firm and they both asked me questions that any junior engineer coming out of college would know in the US. One of the guys was an owner and I'm sure both are registered professionals here.

I see that a lot of the problems here are caused by the increase of development without a proportional increase in the development of the drainage systems.

First off, many pervious undeveloped areas have natural "low" areas that act as "retention" devices which receive the rainfall runoff and let it discharge over time - thus reducing the amount of runoff running overland and thus reaching the "low" area of the basin. As "pervious" undeveloped areas is covered up with "impervious" structures like road and buildings less and less of the rainfall can be soaked up by the ground and therefore runs overland and accumulates in the "low" areas of the basin or sub-basin causing flooding.

The method used in the US is to create artificial "retention" areas or ponds that will receive the runoff and let it discharge over time, thus reducing the amount of rainfall that can accumulate.

I honestly have seen few if any of these structures in the DR and I'm not sure if they even teach that it is important in the universities given that the two aforementioned engineers asked why there were so many of these type of "retention structures" in Florida. To me it tells me they have not been exposed to this concept - which would explain why wherever you go here in the DR when it rains flooding is so commonplace.

I would be glad to meet with the City Engineer or Mayor free of charge and offer my consultation if needed.

CFA123 said:

Chip,
I don't have first hand knowledge of what was done, but as it was explained to me: an existing canal that drained rain water from the city into the river was dug out to allow more flow of water to minimize flooding. I'm told it works well - EXCEPT when rainfall is sufficient to raise the level of the river significantly, then the water from the river is running back into the newly deepened canal creating more flooding than they've had in the past.

Take the above info as a 'maybe' until someone else confirms what's actually happening. That's info from someone living there and they may or may not fully understand the cause of the problem. (you know how that goes)

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If this is the case the need to put in a storm flood gate to prevent the water backing up into the renovated canal - that way the canal only discharges water into the river and cannot receive any water from the river.

the solution

Live like me, up high on a hill, water runs down hill usually. Plus you reduce the likelihood of dying in a Sunami like all those rich folks who want to live on the beach may do some day here. Seriously the hugh number of people living in low lying area here is horrific. We have had heavy rains this week and the road through Cabarete into Sabanete is a sad sight. House after house living on the edge of large lakes of standing water. All have septic systems, not to mention the cows grazing nearly. Would a typhoid epidemic be a real surprise?
Live uphill. One final benefit is that the thieves have to walk uphill to rob you and going on the premise that most thieves are lazy you also reduce your chances of being robbed. Plus if you have to chase the thieves you get to do it downhill, it just goes on and on .........................

Apparently, the flood was extremely bad!

I just talked with a friend that lost everything! Will there be any government assistace for these people?

Frog up high

zoomzx11 said:

Live like me, up high on a hill, water runs down hill usually. Plus you reduce the likelihood of dying in a Sunami like all those rich folks who want to live on the beach may do some day here. Seriously the hugh number of people living in low lying area here is horrific. We have had heavy rains this week and the road through Cabarete into Sabanete is a sad sight. House after house living on the edge of large lakes of standing water. All have septic systems, not to mention the cows grazing nearly. Would a typhoid epidemic be a real surprise?
Live uphill. One final benefit is that the thieves have to walk uphill to rob you and going on the premise that most thieves are lazy you also reduce your chances of being robbed. Plus if you have to chase the thieves you get to do it downhill, it just goes on and on .........................

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My words.
Even amphibians have to live on a mountain these days...
:laugh:

mountainfrog

BTW, it's raining here.

CFA123 said:

Last night was apparently worse than the previous days.
A friend of mine was telling me the water was almost to the top of the doors in her house.

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Yes that was confirmed by Ramon who works for us. He lives in Montellano but on the outskirts and he actually came to work today. Obviously Grahame sent him home really early to help with the clean up. And no I don't think they've ever had any type of flood gate system on the Cam? river.

Another pic of the Montellano flooding in today's El Faro, it's on front page of print version.
Periodico El Faro

Lluvias destruyen casas, cientos damnificados