By Judy Seifert (Contact / Staff Bio)
February 18, 2009 - 10:12 a.m. EST

VASSAR — Residents may be feeling they dodged a bullet last Friday when their downtown flooded and the Cass River passed its flood stage. And that feeling is justified, according to city, state and county officials.

"There’s no doubt that flooding will continue in Vassar in the future," said Bob Mantey, Tuscola County drain commissioner. "But there’s also no doubt that it can be controlled and minimized because the Moore Drain is working."

Melting snow pushed the Cass River to 17.27 feet by late Friday, well above its 14-foot flood stage. Rising water flooded one block of the downtown area-forcing drivers to divert around a stretch of M-15 from Main Street to Cass Avenue.

Improvements to the drain were completed in 2006. It flows through a culvert and connects to the Cass River.

"No one ever said that flooding would be eliminated because of the work on the drain," Mantey explained. "The intent, from the beginning, was containment. That’s what happened Friday."

Mantey said he’s talked with several engineers who agree that Friday’s flood could have been worse. For modest events, the drain works. If the city experiences what Mantey calls a "significant event", flooding will be reduced considerably, but not entirely eliminated.

Mayor Shirley Seney said she was glad the flooding wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

"The drain worked, it did what it was intended to do," she added.

The city has a long history of flooding. The 1986 great flood caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses. During that storm, the water level of the Cass River reached just over 24 feet.

In September 2008, close to five inches of rain fell over a two-day period with no flooding.

"A lot of money was put into the drain project. It’s well maintained and it’s working. But we also need to continue to improve it when and where we can and if possible with grant money from the state or federal government," Mantey added. "We’re all going to be keeping an eye on it."

Judy Seifert is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at seifert@tcadvertiser.com.