Logan County residents evacuated
By REUBEN MEES
Examiner Staff Writer
rmees@examiner.org

Upwards of two dozen families, mostly from the Russells Point area, found themselves sleeping in strange beds Thursday night after heavy rains earlier this week caused the Great Miami River to overflow its banks and flood large swatches of western Logan County.

"This is enough to make me know we're getting out of here," resident Kelly Price said after she and seven other family members were unloaded onto dry land from the Indian Joint Fire District's rescue boat Thursday evening.

The family, like many others in the area, expected water to recede with the end of the rains late Wednesday, but eventually found themselves trapped when the level continued to rise throughout the day Thursday. The river crested and began gradually receding at about 3 p.m., officials report.

"We thought we'd be safe because our foundation is 2 1/2 to 3 feet off the ground," Ms. Price said, noting that the home is built to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's flood standards. "But when we started hearing water gurgling in the registers under the house, we knew it was time to leave."

Others compared the flood to 2003 when a week of heavy rains following the July 4 holiday caused millions of dollars of damage to at least 265 homes.

"It's happened before - 2003, that's the worst there was," said Jerry Spiller, a 13-year-resident who had planned to tough out the flood waters on an high point that was surrounded by water and cut-off from vehicle traffic. "In a day or so the water should go down. It's not a big deal for me."

But unlike 2003, help from FEMA won't likely be on the way, Logan County Emergency Management Agency Director Helen Norris said.

"They, their families and charities can help out, but we won't be getting federal assistance on this one," she said. "It's difficult to tell people that, but we don't want to lead them to believe something that won't happen."

The 2003 flood peaked at about 8 to 9 inches above the 100-year flood level, and Thursday's event was estimated to be at least one to two inches lower than the 2003 level, Mrs. Norris said.

"It's not that high," Logan County Engineer Scott Coleman said, comparing this week's flooding to 2003. "The water levels along the Great Miami River are a foot or so below 2003."

While Mrs. Norris reported about a dozen families had contacted either her office or the Mad River Chapter of the American Red Cross for assistance, other residents like 26-year-old Crystal Lillicrap and her friends chose to leave without seeking assistance.

"That water is cold," she said after donning a trash bag to wade through the knee-deep icy waters that separated her Bristol Circle Drive home in Russells Point from her mother's waiting vehicle. "This is horrible. I've never seen it like this since I've lived here."

Many of the displaced families in Russells Point were renters who were unsure how they would replace their belongings.

"This is pretty much going to be a total loss," said Keith Gibson, who fled his Westview Drive home with Teresa Pierson.

The couple said they watched the water rise from beneath the floor to fill their home about a foot deep.

"We tried to move whatever we could and stack things on the beds, but we ran out of space," Ms. Pierson said.

Businesses were also damaged by the high water.

"We knew (flooding) was a possibility, but we didn't think it would happen before we could even get moved in," said John Livingston, an owner of Varment Guard that recently bought Starbucks Pest Control. The Sunnyside Avenue building they were moving into in the village had about a foot of water in a garage and water levels on the side of the building were about a foot beneath a plaque marking the high water level of a 1959 flood.

Officials said they expect to begin assessing damage as soon as the water recedes enough to get to the flooded areas.

Mr. Coleman said county road crews have been out looking for blockages and jams, but they could use help from citizens.

"If people see a jam or unusually high water, they should call our office," Mr. Coleman said. The phone number is 592-2791.

Once waters return to normal, his crews will survey culverts and bridges in the flooded areas for damage, some of which may be far down.

"When you see flood water, it doesn't look like it is moving. But underneath it can be moving fast and strong, attacking the foundations of bridges and culvert footings," Mr. Coleman said.

Examiner staff writer Joel Mast contributed to this story.