SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — When blue skies give way to dark clouds, it's levees that stand between Green Country businesses and disaster.
Levees around Green Country are aging, and need hundreds of millions of dollars worth of repairs. Sen. Cody Rogers, who represents Tulsa, filed Senate Bill 1391 to seek state help for the $191 million project.
Candi Munaretto remembers the flooding of 2019. She said she hopes history avoids repeating itself.
"It was kind of nerve-racking because you just didn’t know. There was just uncertainty," Munaretto said.
Uncertainty remains because of old levees built decades ago.
In a news release, Sen. Rogers said, “In their current state, levees are classified as high risk and would not be able to withstand extreme conditions.”
"It’s just interesting to see it now and know that it hasn’t been kept up," Munaretto said, "I mean, you have to do routine maintenance on everything."
2 News talked to Sand Springs City Manager Mike Carter, about the issue.
"It’s not gonna get any cheaper is the other point. As we go along in time, it’s going to be more expensive, so we want to get it done now," Carter said.
Carter made a career change from police chief to city manager. The new job posed challenges, like this one. He is keeping tabs on Sen. Rogers’ legislation and staying in contact with federal legislators. Levee renovations are top of mind.
Experts estimate the project costs $191 million— more than any single agency can or will cover.
"We’re trying to work together through the governmental entities to see what we can do. It’s a daunting number," Carter said.
Munaretto owns Little Venice, a downtown Sand Springs restaurant. Downtown is a major area of concern for the levee issue.
"I couldn’t even imagine, if the levee broke, what it could do. It would devastate the Sand Springs area, and all the businesses down there," Munaretto said.
Carter can imagine.
"We have heard estimates that the damage could be over $5 billion," Carter said.
Rogers' bill is in committee.
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