The information comes from an in-depth study on flooding entitled “When it rains…it pours…and…Huntington floods!” by Dr. Anita Walz, associate professor of geography.
Flooding that occurred on May 6, 2022, and Feb. 6, 2025, will be highlighted. The discussion is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, in the Memorial Student Center’s Shawkey Dining Room. The event is sponsored by Marshall’s Lifelong Learning Program.
Walz, who also resides in the Southside neighborhood, says study results for flooding from Fourpole Creek in the Southside on May 6 will be shared, along with new information, resident interviews and potential solutions and their consequences. She says her own flooding trouble led her to dive into this study.
“On May 6, we were flooded as well. Luckily, the water filled the basement but stopped rising one inch below the floor joists of the first floor,” Walz said. “When the fall semester started, I realized this was the perfect topic to include in my Environmental Raster GIS course as a term project.”
Walz says she continued her study of flooding after the semester ended, later also expanding it to the Enslow Park neighborhood with her next class on the topic.
“On May 6, the odd thing was it hardly rained downtown and residents along the creek on the Southside were caught completely off guard,” said Walz. “On that day it rained up to two inches in one hour in the upper part of the watershed and all of this had to drain out at once. The occurrence also coincided with the finishing of the Route 10 widening project, the installation of pumps at the viaducts along the railroad and the replacement of the 8th Street and 5th Street bridges.”
Elizabeth Sheets, coordinator of Marshall’s Lifelong Learning Program, says the program is committed to bringing speakers and programs that present interesting and timely topics for its membership.
“Dr. Anita Walz, a distinguished associate professor of geography at Marshall University, has conducted a careful study of the flooding problem,” said Sheets. “Those in the Huntington community directly impacted by the potential flood waters, will find this discussion invaluable. Because this topic is so relevant to the Huntington community, and Dr. Walz has committed so much of her time and talents researching the flooding issue, we wanted to share her presentation with the community.”
The event is free and open to the public. The discussion will also be available virtually on Zoom, by clicking here.
For more information on Marshall’s Lifelong Learning Program, click here.