Rural homeowners at odds with Clinton Lake Project Office over what caused Aug. 1 flooding

As Mike Perryman watched floodwaters surround his home in rural Douglas County while his wife and daughter were still inside, he wondered what could have caused such a disaster.

While he was aware of the 8 to 10 inches of rain in the weather forecast the night of July 31, seeing the often-shallow Washington Creek quickly fill with water did not make sense to him. Additionally, the water of the creek, which normally heads north to flow into the Wakarusa River, was then flowing the other direction.

“Everything was running back (south),” he said. “It started going back through low points along the creek and back into our properties.”