HUNTINGTON -- Huntington City Council is re-establishing a committee that will explore long-term solutions for the city's stormwater problems.

Stormwater has wreaked havoc on Huntington during the past two weeks, first on Aug. 11 when 2 inches of rain fell in less than two hours. The storm turned the afternoon rush hour into a traffic nightmare as motorists were confronted by high water at nearly every turn in the downtown area. At one point, all six of the city's underpasses were flooded at the same time.

A brief, but heavy downpour Saturday night flooded basements in several neighborhoods and caused street flooding in areas that many residents are now accustomed to avoiding when it rains hard.

"Having to drive through Ohio to get home was frustrating, but it's troubling when police and fire have problems getting from one side of the city to another because all of the viaducts are flooded," City Councilman Nate Randolph said Monday night when discussion during the council's regular meeting turned to the recent storms. "Hopefully, this has opened some eyes that we need to make some one-time infrastructure improvements."

The council's stormwater committee will meet for the first time in nearly two years at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15. The committee went dormant primarily because the city had been unable to fill the public works director's position. Assistant Public Works Director Kit Anderson, who was hired earlier this year, has since taken on the responsibility of preparing a long-term stormwater management plan, as required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

It's a committee that Mayor Kim Wolfe's administration and council members have talked about re-establishing this summer, but the storms have created an urgency, said Councilman Mark Bates, who will serve as the committee's chairman.

Bates said he's seen too much destruction in his own district this month to put off the issue any longer. Several residents in the 1600 block of Washington Boulevard had nearly 30 inches of water in their basements two weeks ago and were hit again Saturday night, he said.

"These problems have gone on for years, and previous councils and administrations have done nothing more than pass it on to their successor," Bates said. "We've shown we're a pretty aggressive council, so I don't think we'll wait forever to take action."

What action that will be remains to be seen. Anderson is requesting residents who have videos or photos of storm damage to contact him at City Hall, Bates said. Anderson will use the information and several months of research to make a presentation to the stormwater committee at its September meeting.

Bates said the committee will look at several options, including an ordinance that would require residents to disconnect their downspouts from flowing directly into the city's aging sewer system and the creation of a stormwater utility that would assess fees to pay for storm sewer upgrades.

"I think it's imperative that we look at every avenue possible in light of the recent storms," Bates said. "Whether it means we enact a fee or not depends on the will of council."

The city also could be getting a $3.5 million boost in its budget, at least for the next two years, if the new tax reform package that City Council passed two weeks ago gains approval from the Municipal Home Rule Board next month. The West Virginia Legislature will review all home rule initiatives in 2013.

Councilman Nate Randolph said he supports much of the new revenue being used for one-time infrastructure improvements.

"We need to find ways to keep one or two of these viaducts open," he said.

Mark Webb/The Herald-Dispatch

A vehicle was stuck in the 8th Street underpass due to flash flooding from heavy rainfall on Friday, June 4, 2010, in Huntington.

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