Damage from Berea flooding about $892K

Local News

July 31, 2010

Emily Burton Register News Writer The Richmond Register Sat Jul 31, 2010, 08:00 AM EDT

RICHMOND — The water has long since seeped away, but the damage it left behind in Berea is now being tabulated.

The Madison County Emergency Management Agency, alongside Kentucky Emergency Management, completed their inspection of damaged structures Friday, according to Carl Richards, director of the Madison County EMA.

Richards said the EMA estimates damage to be approximately $892,000.

“We inspected 30 homes, some ranging from minor to major damage, one home had 60 inches of water in the living space,” he said.

The total amount of damage to all homes is about $300,000, Richards said.

Residents of a couple of homes were directed to the American Red Cross for aid, after much of their homes’ contents were destroyed, Richards said.

In addition, 12 businesses were inspected, damage to these businesses ranged from minor to severe, he said. Damage to the businesses is estimated at $106,000

Dormitories at Berea College — including Anna Smith and Talcott halls — also sustained damage when water invaded the buildings.

Damage to the college is estimated at $55,000, Richards said.

The Berea Community School had the most damage. The floor of the Singletary gymnasium, which had just been replaced, was destroyed. Also damaged were several pieces of technology at the school, and the choir and band rooms. Much of the damage at the school was confined to the basement.

“It was the single largest chunk of damage we assessed,” Richards said.

Richards estimated damage to the school at $91,000.

Several municipal buildings owned by the City of Berea also were damaged. The Public Works and Utilities building was damaged when the interior fittings to a 4-inch roof drain came lose and water began pouring into the building during the storm. Workers were able to secure the fittings, Richards said, but not before water flooded a garage, several offices and a workout room. Also, the tile in Fire Station 2 will have to be replaced, because floodwaters crept underneath it. If not replaced, the tile will likely begin to pull away from the floor, Richards said.

Also, the city lost $10,000 in infrastructure, mostly in the form of blown transformers, he said.

Infrastructure spared were area roadways. Unlike in the May floods, none of the roadways covered with water during this week’s flash floods were damaged. A few of the culverts may need repair, Richards said.

“There’s nothing right now that the road department said that they would consider significant,” he said.

Damage to all city structures is about $320,000, Richards said. They city must meet a minimum threshold of $279,000 to be eligible for public aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This type of aid is available to municipalities and other government bodies only. A federal disaster declaration does not have to be signed in order for governments to apply.

However, Berea residents will have to wait to see if they qualify for individual assistance from FEMA. This type of aid is available to residents of an affected area. It requires either the declaration of an emergency or a federal disaster area. A disaster declaration does not provide for the long term, as a federal disaster declaration, but is focused on preventing a major disaster from occurring, and assisting with a short-term need.

There is no set monetary threshold which must be met for FEMA to recommend either type of declaration. A federal disaster declaration requires the signature of the president.

However, Richards said FEMA takes many things into account, the monetary loss to a community, but also, the impact of the loss of homes and property on a community.

Although both the Madison County and state emergency management agencies have finished their evaluations, a declaration is not immediate.

Richards said that FEMA must review the EMA’s evaluations and will make a recommendation as to what type of declaration will be made, or, if no declaration will be made.

FEMA and KyEM representatives will be in Berea on Monday for a preliminary assessment, Richards said in a press release.

Emily Burton may be reached at eburton@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694. For breaking news follow Emily on Twitter at, RR_EBurton@twitter.com

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