Flood of 2006

More than 11 inches of rain fell in about 24 hours on June 27 causing the most severe natural disaster in the region’s history.

In covering the flood I posted dozens of Web updates, trudged through waste-high water in a pair of chest waders and filed between five and 10 articles daily. The disaster proved a test of my ability to operate quickly and accurately under very stressful circumstances.

People relied on the newspaper for vital information. Flood coverage on the Web site garnered more than 10 million hits in a two-week period.

Some of the staff, including me, won a Best of Gannett Award for the effort. The Press & Sun-Bulletin competed against major metropolitan papers such as the Arizona Republic, the Indianapolis Star and the Detroit Free Press for this award. For the coverage I also received a first place award for breaking news and a first place award for continued news coverage from the New York State Associated Press Association.

Below is an example of continued flood coverage.

Property buyouts prove frustrating
Some residents still await word on applications filed after April 2005 flood

By BRIAN LIBERATORE

This article appeared July 17, 2006 on page 1A.

Unofficial word from FEMA came last week to the Town of Union. Out of the 20 homeowners who applied for the buyout program following the April 2005 flood, 13 would be bought out, their homes razed and a permanent green space established in their place.

More paperwork is needed for the other seven, Town Supervisor John Bernardo said.

The information, he said, came through a phone call from a FEMA official. It took the federal government a year to respond, allowing the homeowners time to rebuild -- and time to watch last month's flood destroy their homes one more time.

"It's truly sad," Bernardo said.

With last month's flooding far surpassing the destruction of previous floods, local officials again plan to seek state and federal assistance to buy out homes in the path of the next flood.

It's a process mired with paperwork, protocol and the lethargic pace of government. There's no guarantee any buyout programs will be settled before another flood hits.

In Union, up to 40 people are asking for the government to buy their homes following the latest disaster.

The number of residents requesting buyouts in Conklin following the recent flood, said Conklin Supervisor Debra Preston, will far exceed the 19 homeowners who requested buyouts in 2005.

Preston has not received word from the federal government on those buyout applications, filed last year.

"It was very time-consuming and costly for us to do," Preston said of the application process. "And we did it."

The last time Union received federal funds for a buyout program was during the 1980s when the town used nearly $1 million in federal funds to buy out 35 flood-prone houses in Endwell, many on Argonne Avenue, now the site of the half-acre Argonne Park. The town applied to FEMA for funds to buy out property following the flood of 1996, but didn't receive them. Buying out homeowners in especially flood-prone neighborhoods, Bernardo said, makes financial sense.

"We as a society keep picking up the tab one way or another," he said, noting that federal flood insurance, disaster responses and assistance funds all come from tax dollars.

As those funds are continually applied to homeowners with no choice but to rebuild in the path of floodwater, the costs continue to rise.

One of the ways to stem that cycle, Bernardo said, is to buy out the homes. "If you can, you should put the problem to rest once and for all," he said.

LONG PROCESS

"The application process is extensive," said Susan Bergmann, chief of mitigation with the state Office of Emergency Management. "I know people would like it to be immediate, but there is a process involved."

Money for buying out properties, Bergmann said, is part of a larger statewide pool referred to as the "hazard mitigation program." The money in the mitigation program will be equal to 7.5 percent of the total money spent on the initial disaster response across the 19 affected counties in the state. Along with buyouts, that money can go into any infrastructure improvements designed to avoid damage from future disasters.

Once the fund is established, municipalities must fill out applications for specific projects. Based on residents' feedback, local municipalities could apply for federal funds to buy out flood-prone properties. The applications go to the state for initial approval, to a project review board and on to the federal government for final approval.

The government cannot buy and raze a home without the owner's permission.

Once the entities have agreed to a home buyout program, federal officials and homeowners negotiate the fair market price of the house based on its assessed value, the condition of the property and any improvements, modifications or a host of other factors that could contribute to the home's worth.

In years past, the federal government would fund 75 percent of the project, leaving 25 percent of the tab with the local municipality. Razing the homes in Union, under the buyout program established after April 2005, could cost about $1.5 million, leaving local taxpayers to pay $375,000.

Because of the unprecedented damage caused by last month's flood, state officials have agreed this year to cover the 25 percent not funded by the federal government, Bergmann said. How much money is available for projects won't be known for another few months.

In recent years, the U.S. government has added an extra step to the process as part of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The statute requires that municipalities have a FEMA-approved disaster mitigation plan to receive the funds. Forming the plans could add months to the procedure. To help speed the process for this and future disaster relief or preparation, Broome County is working on a master plan for hazard mitigation plans, said Frank Evangelisti, chief planner for Broome County. It should be completed by early next year.

FRUSTRATION BUILDS

The shattered remains of a house Friday blocked River Boulevard in Conklin. An orange sign on the house stated the obvious: "Unsafe Building, No Entry."

The home's owner had applied through the Town of Conklin for a buyout following the April 2005 disaster. The homeowner was still waiting for a response last month when floodwater pulled the home from its foundation and deposited it in the middle of the road.

"I'm totally frustrated at this," Preston said.

Ellen Easton sat on a cooler Friday in the remnants of her Conklin Road home, located a few hundred yards from the house blocking the road. She opened a donated bottle of water, took a sip and threw up her hands. "I can't take anymore," she said, echoing the sentiments of her neighbors. "I've fought three floods. I don't want to fight another one."

Fourteen feet of water had filled her home for four days last month, destroying her basement, her first floor and everything contained in the two floors. The cooler was the only thing to pass for furniture among the bare wall studs, warped floorboards and debris in her first floor.

It will take thousands to fix her home, and Easton wonders if it's worth it. Three floods in two years seem to suggest a pattern, she said. "Something's changed," Easton said. "Something's not right."

If the flood of 2007 ever materializes, Easton will have to start over again. And, she added, if the government plans to buy the home, there's little point in pouring money into it. With no answers, she waits.

"I don't want to leave," Easton said. "I love this house. It means a lot to me. But it means more to me to have a little sense of security."

Michael Doolittle, owner of Endwell Mobile Home Park, found himself in the same situation. The flood has destroyed the 20-unit park. The town had hoped to buy out the property after flooding in 1996. Nothing ever came of it.

In 2005, floods again ravaged the trailer park, Doolittle said. Following an enormous out-of-pocket expense, the trailer park had been restored only to face devastation again last month.

Rebuilding seems to be the only option, Doolittle said, adding he would gladly accept a buyout.

"We're just trying to cope with what we have," he said. "As to what the future holds, we'll just have to wait and see."