Claremont Roads Flooding Again

CLAREMONT, SD - Flood conditions in Claremont are as bad, if not worse than last year with people cut off from their homes and roads in all directions crumbling.

There's only one passable road left leading into town. And even that one has water over it in places.

"It is a serious problem," Mayor Bob Thompson said.

A route to the north has had barricades blocking it all spring after vehicles started sinking right into the road. That's happening to the south of town too where there’s now no travel advised. And you can only get in from the East with an all-terrain vehicle.

"I can't get anywhere. I just can't get out right now," Roy Pulfrey said.

Pulfrey lives northeast of Claremont in a house he built two-and-a-half years ago. But there isn’t an open road to his home anymore. So Pulfrey is traveling through as deep of water as he dares with this ATV.

His options are limited if the water gets much deeper.

"I'm not sure, I'm not sure what we're going to do," Pulfrey said.

The water flooding Pulfrey's road is flowing away but not fast enough. And all that water is affecting everyone in the community.

Kids from Claremont who go to school in Groton will have to meet the bus at a farm outside of town because a bus can't even make it into town anymore. That's just one of the concerns people face.

"Very concerned, people getting in and out of town, you know, the businesses getting supplies in town and people getting out just in an emergency or just to their jobs," Thompson said.

And for people like Pulfrey, just getting home is a concern too.

"I know there're problems all around the state and I feel terrible for everybody,” Pulfrey said. “But we had it like this last year and we don't want everybody to forget because it's at least as bad and maybe worse around Claremont than it ever was."

The city plans to hold a meeting Wednesday with county officials to see what can be done to help people in the area.