In the wake of Hurricane Florence in 2018, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and the surrounding area faced a major challenge from flooding. Over 34 inches of rain fell in four days, and the Cape Fear River, which divides Fayetteville, overflowed its banks. High-speed, fast-moving water and debris overwhelmed storm sewers as well as streets, affecting 2,500 homes and forcing hundreds to seek safety. In all, there were 49 deaths within the 500-mile swath of Hurricane Florence, which evolved into a tropical storm and then a tropical depression. Two government river monitoring gauges stopped transmitting when waters reached record crests, testing dams and menacing towns with floodwaters that had no place to go but up.

The Vacall Versatility Advantage

“When the strength and direction of the storm were determined, the city of Fayetteville was foresighted and called us ahead of time to commit to the use of our Vacall AllJetVac machines,” said Mark Barnett, vice president of Hydrostructures, a civil engineering firm involved in inspections and evaluations as well as pipeline cleaning with five locations in three states.

Hydrostructures has a longtime arrangement to handle Fayetteville sewer line maintenance, so both the city and the company understood how to work together to prepare for impending disaster.

“Our trucks were on standby when the storm hit, and we worked 24 hours a day for six days to address the high water,” said Barnett. “That was just the first wave, because the rivers didn’t really crest until a week and a half later, but in that time we were able to get the flooding under control and then head further east to help in other areas.”

Hydrostructures, which owns 11 Vacall AllJetVac combination sewer maintenance machines, continually vacuumed and decanted water from flooded Fayetteville pump stations that had lost power or exceeded their capacities.

AllJetVac machines owned by Hydrostructures have 12-yard tanks, each holding about 2,500 gallons of water. Additional pump trucks involved in the cleanup each could hold 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water.

“But the Vacalls have more vacuum power, making them way more effective than the pump trucks,” said Barnett. “The pump trucks have three or four-inch hose, while our Vacalls have eight-inch hose and a positive displacement pump. So I could make two or three truck runs for each run a pump truck could make.”

After the flooding problems were addressed and the river had crested, the Vacalls went back to the Fayetteville area to use their jetting and vacuum capabilities to clear sand and debris from the water lines.

Barnett said the non-stop demands put on the Vacalls during the six straight days of pumping tested the reliability and performance of all of the equipment.

“Vacalls are built for contractors,” he said. “They handle the hard work, and that’s what typically is needed by contractors. While they might have fewer little bells and whistles, but they are simple to operate and they pump faster, and the layout of the truck makes them easier to work on.”

About Vacall: 
Vacall is an industry leader in combination sewer cleaners, catch basin cleaners and vacuum excavators, manufacturing machines with superior water pressure and vacuum forces. Built to last by Gradall Industries, Inc., in New Philadelphia, Ohio, every Vacall machine undergoes rigorous testing to ensure excellent machine quality and a long, reliable working life. For more information visit www.vacall.com.