As cleanup continues after Friday's devastating flash flooding, an Oakley business owner is questioning whether a critical piece of Cincinnati's flood protection system failed to operate when rising water inundated Madison Road and surrounding businesses.
Residents and business owners who watched floodwaters overtop the Duck Creek channel said the Duck Creek floodgate never closed.
It's not the first time the floodgate has come under scrutiny.
Nearly a decade ago, after flash flooding sent water across Madison Road and stranded multiple vehicles, residents questioned whether the same floodgate had malfunctioned. At the time, city officials said there was no evidence the creek had risen high enough to trigger the gate and believed the roadway flooded from heavy rainfall rather than water escaping Duck Creek. Officials also moved up a scheduled inspection of the floodgate to confirm it was functioning properly.
WATCH: Questions about Duck Creek floodgate resurface after flash flooding devastates Oakley businesses
Following Friday's storm, city leaders are reviewing the system again. Though officials said there has been no confirmed failure, they are investigating whether the system operated as designed.
Greater Cincinnati Water Works said the city's Stormwater Management Utility is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review video footage and sensor data to determine whether the floodgate operated properly.
For Mark Fisk, co-owner of Mainly Art in Oakley, the investigation comes after watching years of work damaged in a matter of minutes.
Standing inside his warehouse, Fisk pointed to ruined furniture, soaked upholstery materials, damaged artwork and several classic vehicles that were submerged by floodwater.
"All these cars are toast," Fisk said. "The computers in the cars now — they're all shot."
He said he estimates the damaged vehicles alone account for between $60,000 and $70,000 in losses.
Fisk said his business has endured heavy rain before, but the floodgate has always protected the area.
"This floodgate has closed before and stopped any kind of water from getting into this area," he said. "We waited and waited, and nothing happened."
As rainfall intensified Friday, Fisk said he watched water spill over the Duck Creek channel and race across Madison Road.
Concerned drivers continued entering the flooded roadway, prompting him to call 911 and ask for officers to block traffic.
Several vehicles became stranded, requiring Cincinnati firefighters to rescue people trapped by the rapidly rising water.
"I never thought I'd see a boat go down Madison Road," Fisk said.
Fisk said he believes the floodgate never completed the sequence designed to protect the basin. He said he saw one warning light activate, but the traffic arms never lowered and the gate never closed.
"One gate lit up, but it didn't go down," he said.
He also questioned whether the floodgate has been routinely inspected.
"They used to come and check it and close the gate to make sure it worked," Fisk said. "We haven't seen anybody in a while."
Mayor Aftab Pureval said the city intends to thoroughly examine the floodgate and other critical infrastructure impacted by the storm.
"We always have to learn from major weather events that cause this level of destruction," Pureval said in a statement. "As we look at the Duck Creek floodgate in particular, it is still unconfirmed whether or not there was any malfunction."
Pureval said the city, Army Corps of Engineers and SMU will analyze "all our systems, especially critical infrastructure," before determining whether additional improvements are needed.
For Fisk, the similarities to the 2016 flooding raise concerns that questions about the floodgate have lingered for years without definitive answers.
"I think something should have been done beforehand," he said. "Now we're thinking we have to get flood insurance because I can't depend on that anymore."
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not responded to WCPO 9's request for comment. Officials said they expect to release more information once their review of the floodgate's video footage and sensor data is complete.
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