Recently, three-and-a-half inches of rain fell in a short period of time on County Road 165 near Murdoch Creek, causing the creek to rise, bringing knee deep water onto the roadway.
Carroll County Emergency Management and Civil Defense Director Ken Strachan and Beat 4 Supervisor Claude Fluker said they couldn’t cross the road to assess the damage until the water receded and it was still high.
Strachan said he contacted the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and received a letter stating that back in September 2018 when the dam near Murdoch Creek breached, someone not connected to MDEQ in any way, used an explosive in the dam.
Fluker told Shane Correro with Willis Engineering that it was “wide enough for a football field.” Strachan said in the letter MDEQ stated they did not authorize, they never sought nor granted anyone to use explosives.
“I think we should open up an investigation to see who did it and go after them, because I know I didn’t authorize anyone to use explosives,” Fluker said.
Strachan and Fluker said when the incident happened in September 2018, which was before Strachan took over the position. At the time, it was thought that MDEQ had fixed it when they sent someone out. Fluker said they had no idea about the explosives.
The letter went on to say the dam is “unlikely to be repaired, and it will continue to flood.
Officials wrote that the road bed either has to be raised or a wider culvert will have to be installed.
“That doesn’t sound like they’re going to fix it,” Board President Rickie Corley said.
“No, and I don’t think they are,” Strachan said.
Fluker said there are several families who live along County Road 165, and if something isn’t done, the families may have to move.
“Are they in the flood zone?” Supervisor Jim Neill asked.
“I’ll have to do some research to find out,” Acting Board Attorney Jimmy Powell said.
“They are now because this happened,” Fluker said.
