A weekend of heavy rain left parts of central Ohio dealing with flooding.
But the problems continued at Columbus’ Dodge Park Skatepark even after the weather had settled.
The park was still covered in water Monday, leaving local skaters unable to use one of its main areas. That is frustrating considering the city spent $150,000 on improvements at the facility just a few years ago.
Columbus Recreation and Parks crews were at the park Monday working on the drainage system.
Earlier that morning, the large bowl had around a foot and a half of standing water. Skaters said the situation was even worse when they visited over the weekend.
“Coming down from the top of the hill I could see the water line up,” skater Gage Tucker said.
Tucker had headed to Dodge Park hoping to skate with friends, but the amount of water made that impossible.
“It kind of sucks seeing the park in this kind of condition where we can’t get out here and skate and really do anything,” he said.
Tucker has been skating at Dodge Park for several years and said he and his friends have dealt with standing water before. They have even brought out a squeegee to help drain the bowl, but the latest flooding was far beyond what a couple of skaters could handle.
“We bring a squeegee out and try to get some of the water out of the bowl, but it’s a little bit difficult to do with just two guys and a couple of sticks,” Tucker said.
According to Tucker, this is not the first time the bowl has been left underwater. He said he has seen similar conditions at least nine other times, with the worst case coming after three straight days of heavy rain.
“The absolute highest I’ve seen it was just below this yellow line for the coping here,” Tucker said.
Crews eventually unclogged the drain Monday afternoon, giving the water a way out. Workers also cleared drains along the road leading down to the park.
Dodge Park has some skateboarding history behind it too. The park was designed by Tony Hawk’s father, making it a notable spot for local skaters.
The city’s $150,000 improvements were intended to last around four to five years, according to Columbus Recreation and Parks. The department also plans to create a master plan for replacing the facility in the future.
For Tucker and other regulars, the main concern is simple. They want to be able to skate without having to deal with another flooded bowl after the next heavy storm.
“It would mean that we have our park back fully,” Tucker said. “We have a spot to come hang out at after work, a place to chill on the weekends, just feel like our home has been repaired and we can finally move back into it.”