Flood damage too slight for aid

Oct 09, 2009 (Chattanooga Times Free Press - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- TRON | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- PDF: Dam Modifications Fact Sheet

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ON THE WEB

To see an image from NASA's Earth Observatory showing flooding in the southeastern U.S. visit http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=40266&src=eoa-iotd

YOUR FLOOD PHOTOS

Send us your photos of the flood and we'll post them online.

Please send them to spotted@timesfreepress.com and place "flood photos" in the subject line.

FLOODING TIPS

--If flooding occurs, get to higher ground. Avoid areas subject to flooding, including dips, low spots, canyons and washes.

--Avoid areas that are already flooded. Do not attempt to cross flowing streams.

--Never drive through flooded roadways.

--If your vehicle is suddenly caught in rising water, leave it immediately and seek higher ground.

--Be especially cautious at night, when it is harder to recognize flood dangers

Source: National Weather Service

SHELTERS

Walker County

Walker County Civic Center on U.S. Highway 27 in Rock Spring

Hamilton County

Brainerd Recreation Center, 1010 N. Moore Road, Chattanooga

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AREA'S WORST FLOODS

Chattanooga's worst flooding occurred in the years before the Tennessee Valley Authority build its system of reservoirs and dams. Here are the highest waters in the city's history:

March, 1867 -- The largest flood in city history crested at 58 feet, 27.9 feet above flood stage, inundating downtown.

March, 1875 -- The Tennessee River crested at 23.5 feet above flood stage.

April, 1886 -- More than 4,000 homeless residents were taken by boats to higher ground at Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. The river crested at 22.3 feet above flood stage.

March, 1917 -- The river crested at 17.7 feet above flood stage. Many homes, businesses were inundated.

March, 1973 -- More than 10,000 acres, much of that in Brainerd, were under water after about 10 inches of rain. The river crested at 6.9 feet above flood stage, and damage citywide was estimated at $66.6 million.

May, 2003 -- Three days of thunderstorm runoff damages an estimated 480 buildings in city's worst flooding since 1973.

September, 2009 -- Seven days of showers dumped nearly 10 inches of rain on the area. The South Chickamauga Creek reached 28.5 feet, nearing an all-time high.

Sources: TVA, newspaper archives, catskillarchive.com

East Ridge and other flood-ravaged areas of Tennessee will not get federal disaster relief money because damage here did not meet the federal dollar-level threshold.

That's the word Thursday from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which cited the low dollar level and the fact that so many residents were getting help from local governments and charities.

That news didn't sit well with East Ridge City Manager William Whitson, who said the city had as much as $200,000 in public damage and stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue because one of the city's largest retailers, Sears Essentials, closed rather than make flood repairs.

"This money could have relieved some suffering," Mr. Whitson said. "We were holding our own in terms of our budget before the flood, but these people up in Washington just check a box and we're in the hole now."

TEMA completed an examination of the damage in Hamilton and Hamblin counties, which had flooding last month, and found that the remaining unmet needs would not cost enough for the state to qualify for federal disaster aid, said spokesman Jeremy Heidt in a news release.

To receive a declaration for federal assistance, the state must show that the financial impact of damage to government infrastructure and the cost of response efforts statewide is more than $7.4 million, the threshold established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

East Ridge, which evacuated more than 200 homes and had more than 500 residents displaced, was the hardest hit city in Hamilton County.

"Everyone tried their best," Mr. Whitson said. "I understand the rules, and thresholds, but it's still not right and it's not fair."

Georgia qualified for the disaster declaration early on, because federal law allows for a quick declaration when there are multiple casualties caused by a disaster. There were eight deaths in Georgia, one in Alabama and one in Chattanooga, according to news reports.

In Tennessee, many residents were aided by charities, churches and their local governments. In the end, too much work was performed and that hurt the state's ability to qualify for aid, TEMA officials said.

"Networking and rapid response by supportive civic and community groups greatly aided individuals in Hardin and Hamilton counties by providing goods and services to speed their recovery," said Charles Bryant, assistant director of response for the TEMA.

While still significant, Tennessee's flooding costs were insufficient to qualify for FEMA's disaster reimbursement program under the federal Stafford Act, Mr. Heidt said.

Mr. Whitson said costs might have rung up higher if the American Red Cross had kept its shelter open longer, but when the charity complained about costs, he allowed it to close early.

"It wasn't fair for them to keep it open longer when it was causing them a hardship," Mr. Whitson said.

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