Photos by Ethan Bell
RADFORD – The New River spilled over its banks Thursday, putting Bisset and Riverview parks, the community garden, Sparky’s Run dog park and low-lying areas of the city under water.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov) the highest water level of the event was 21.71 feet, which occurred at 3 a.m. on Friday, May 22 and held until 4:30 a.m. It was the sixth highest crest recorded for the New River. The highest was 36.96 feet in 1940, followed by: 24.1feet in 1977, 24.04 feet in 1995, 23.83 feet in 2018 and 21.73 in 1989.
The flow rate of the river at the high crest time last Friday was 93,000 cubic feet per second.
Gardeners at the Radford Community Garden surveyed the damage Friday morning, noting many of their plantings have been destroyed by the flood waters. A heavy coating of leaves covered fences, playground equipment and other areas at Bisset Park.
Other facts having to do with flooding levels for the New River in Radford include:
At 14 feet riverside parking lots are affected; 16 feet significant flooding occurs in Bisset park; 17 feet all lower Dedmon Center parking lots flood; 20 feet flooding along Hazel Hollow Road; 22 feet water approaches main road in Bisset; 25 feet Dedmon center affected and 28 feet Green Hill Apartments parking lot floods and RU student apartment parking lots are affected.
– Heather Bell
