The waters of Simpson Creek are back within their banks, but those on cleanup duty are seeing the power with which waters swept across city parks, trails and recreational facilities.

 

At City Park, a dumpster was carried from the footbridge to the football field clear to the walk trail below the soccer field. At the archery station along the city walking trail, barrels were pushed 100 yards to the other side of the trail and a large turtle-shaped sandbox traveled from Alligator Park across the parking lot and into the basketball courts at Virginia Avenue.

 

“I don’t know how it got inside the court because the sandbox is wider than the gate,” said Billy Lafferty of Bridgeport Parks and Recreation. “The water pressure was crazy. This flood hit pretty hard. I don’t think people realize how bad it was.”

 

Lafferty and a crew of four have been busy today cleaning all the above-mentioned facilities.

 

“There had been about a foot of water in the lower restroom at City Park and the guys had to scrub that out,” Lafferty said. “There is excessive mud and debris on the walking trails and at the basketball courts at Virginia Avenue, they spent at least three hours scraping mud off.”

 

In addition to having shovels in hand, Lafferty said members of his crew have been using some equipment; one piece the same used for removing snow from sidewalks.

 

“It’s a little John Deere tractor with a blade on the front and we use that blade to scrape the thick mud,” he said.

 

Also being utilized is the city flusher truck, which Parks and Recreation are sharing with Bridgeport Public Works, another city department which has been quite busy with flood water cleanup.

 

Lafferty said his crews were at work early this morning, targeting the walking trails as first priority, but there was also much work done Monday.

 

While out assessing flood waters Monday morning, Lafferty and Parks and Recreation Director Joe Shuttleworth received a phone call that water was coming up inside commodes at the Benedum Civic Center. Upon arrival, Lafferty and Shuttleworth also found an elevator shaft full of water and a couple inches of water on the basement floor of the Civic Center.

 

“Our sump pump couldn’t keep up with the amount of water that was coming in,” Lafferty said. “We got there in the nick of time.”

 

A pipe was run and a gas pump used, which required monitoring of C02 levels to keep atmosphere safe, he said. In the meantime, the Civic Center was closed for activities. After removal of creek sand and mud and much mopping, cleaning and sanitizing, the center is open today for regularly-scheduled events.

 

This time of year - when activity at ballfields is in full swing -  the parks and recreation department is quite busy. With the added element of flood water clean-up – in winter weather which seems to be lingering - the crew has had its work cut out, Lafferty said.

 

Shuttleworth said their efforts are sure appreciated. By the weekend - forecast to be mild and sunny - city trails and courts will hopefully be in good shape.

 

Lafferty said the last time he remembers clean-up work in this capacity was in 2008 and he doesn’t think waters had risen quite as high as they did this week.

 

Editor's Note: Pictured in top three images is the basketball court at Virginia Avenue. Pictured right is the elevator shaft at Benedum Civic Center. Pictured working are Bridgeport Parks and Recreation crew members Shane Huff, Jack Fenton, Jason Daugherty and Matt Ferrell. Photos are courtesy of Billy Lafferty.