Flood Cleanup in Atlanta, GA

Atlanta's urban flooding problem is directly tied to its rapid development over the past four decades: as forests and farmland in the Chattahoochee watershed were paved over for suburban growth, runoff volumes into urban streams increased dramatically. Peachtree Creek, Nancy Creek, Intrenchment Creek, and South River collect stormwater from thousands of acres of impervious surfaces and can rise from low flow to dangerous flood stage in under two hours during intense spring and fall thunderstorms. The 2009 Atlanta floods — the worst in the city's recorded history — inundated neighborhoods from Vine City to Brookhaven, killed 11 people, and caused over $500 million in damage. The Bush Mountain and Waterworks areas in upper Buckhead, the Cascade Road corridor in southwest Atlanta, and the Stone Mountain Park downstream areas in DeKalb County face recurring flood cleanup needs year after year. Red clay floodwater in Atlanta is particularly damaging because the clay particles penetrate deeply into porous building materials, staining and structurally compromising drywall, subfloor sheathing, and insulation.