About 180 campers have evacuated Point Mallard Campground because of flooding.
Almost 100 percent of of the campground is underwater right now. Campers said they’ve never seen it flood this bad.
Flood waters forced campers to evacuate Point Mallard Campground this weekend, after more than six inches of rain fell on the area within 24 hours.
“We’ve been camping at Point Mallard for many, many years and I’ve never seen it like this. This is my first time,” said camper Janice Miller.
Campers were notified of the flooding to come and many headed over to the golf course, skating rink and water park. That’s where we found Janice Miller and her husband.
“I came out here Saturday. My husband left before I did, so when I came out I was shocked, because it was coming up fast,” Miller explained.
When the campground will reopen is unclear, but what leaders do know, is it will be a huge financial blow for the city.
“The campground alone which I’ll be honest with you, it’s a big revenue maker for the city and for Point Mallard. Its totally shutdown so we’re looking until that recedes, which I will say will be at least a week or so. Then you’ve got clean up and before clean up you have to make sure nothing was breached, sewer and all the electrical is ready to go. So I would say a good hard month,” said Paige Bibbee, Decatur City Council President.
Campers are staying optimistic about being displaced. “Everybody is like family. Saturday there was so many people out here helping one another, pulling their camper for them. Helping them move things, getting set up. Everybody was pitching in to help each other,” Miller continued.
The City of Decatur declared a state of emergency Sunday. If storm damages reach $7 million in North Alabama FEMA will step in.