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Cleanup, not eyesore, a priority for residents with flood damage |
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Monday, 19 May 2008 |
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Sometimes, Mother Nature can create quite an eyesore.
The mess is cleaned up now, but a week ago the debris from recent storms was piled high, resulting in complaints that the mess was unsightly.  Ron James shows with his hand how high debris was piled in Nancy Sheridan’s backyard, which backs up to Salt Creek. Sheridan lives on Misty Circle in Benton, where many residences were flooded during the April 3 storms. Sheridan and other residents are still covered up in the cleanup process, they said. (Courier photo by Jillian Duke)
Nancy Sheridan has been dealing with the aftermath of the April 3 storms that produced three tornadoes and flooding in Saline County. On the night of the storms, Sheridan had to rely on firefighters to get her out of her flooded house on Misty Circle in Benton.
“About 12:30 that night, I got up and stepped in water,” she said, noting that the overflow from Salt Creek behind her house was rushing into her home. The water level reached about 2 feet.
Sheridan’s house was ruined and the restoration process has been grueling.
“It demolished the inside of my house,” she said. “It’s unbelievable the amount of mud and the cleanup involved. The last thing you think about is cleaning up limbs in your yard.”
Anyone who complained about unsightly storm debris “might feel better served if he or she stopped by and burned the debris that washed down the creek filling my yard, my house and covering my deck and changing the course of my life,” Sheridan said.
Helping her clean up the mess and get things back in order is Ron James. He said about $25,000 already has been spent. He estimates total damage at $60,000.
Fortunately, Sheridan and other neighbors affected, such as Amber Olch, have insurance to pay for the damage. Flood insurance is required for people living in a floodplain. Misty Circle is in Hidden Valley subdivision and the housing addition is considered to be in a floodplain.
Sheridan had debris — limbs and other vegetation — piled against her fence, which separates her backyard from the creek. Apparently, the sight offended someone and a complaint was made May 6 to the city’s code enforcement department, which operates under the umbrella of the Benton Police Department.
Code enforcement Officer Bobby Shell assessed the scene, which he said is required following such a complaint.
“If these people were so concerned with the debris, why didn’t they come and help?” James asked. “We’re cleaning up the best we can, but the house is more important than the yard.”
Shell said he went May 7 to investigate the complaint that debris might get washed into Salt Creek.
“I didn’t give them a violation warning because I knew it was due to the storm and that they were still cleaning up,” Shell said.
Shell said that when he heard that it was a debris complaint, he pictured pulled out carpet and building materials.
“They just had sticks and limbs piled there. There was no building material debris,” he said. “I told them to give me a call when they got rid of it, and I think they burned it Monday.”
Shell said it’s his job to follow up on a complaint.
“But we have hearts,” he said. “If it’s storm-related and from catastrophic events like those people have been through, we’ll work with them and give them adequate amount of time to clean things up. We don’t want to kick them in the gut when they’re down.”
Olch, whose house also flooded but not as badly as Sheridan’s, questions who is responsible for the debris in the creek.
“It’s going to have to be cleaned up,” she said. “We all have insurance, and we’re not asking for a handout, but we just want the creek taken care of.”
From a floodplain management standpoint, City Engineer Gail Mainard said he thinks the best solution for the Misty Circle residents is to enter a flood program with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in which the agency would buy their property and demolish the houses.
“FEMA has a mitigation grant program where they’ll buy the property,” Mainard said. “Misty Circle is a unique area. They predate the floodplain program. Every time we get a good rain, they get flooded.”
Current floodplain standards were established in 1982. The neighborhood was developed in the mid-1970s.
“It would have never been built with the current standards,” Mainard said. “They are actually in the floodway. It doesn’t get any worse than that.”
Mainard said if the general feeling from property owners is not favorable, the city won’t pursue the FEMA program. Mainard said property owners soon will be contacted to gauge their interest. He added that the homeowners should get market value for their homes, noting, “I think they’ll be made fair offers.”
Sheridan said she would consider the FEMA program and she suspects her neighbors would as well “if the price is right.”
She said she’d like to know something soon, however, before she moves forward on anymore renovating.
In the meantime, cleaning up is still a priority.
The city of Benton is eligible to be reimbursed from the FEMA for things like picking up debris that is piled on curbs.
Mainard said the city may be reimbursed for cleanup of debris that is a direct result from storm damage. However, the city may not be reimbursed for picking up debris related to renovation projects.
“FEMA is big on documentation, and we cannot pick up just anything off the right-of-way,” Mainard said. We do have limitations for what they will reimburse us for. We can pick up debris due to the storm if property owners put it at the curb. We don’t get reimbursed for debris caused by remodeling.”
Mainard said the city has not yet received any reimbursements from FEMA.
“We’re getting pretty close to picking up all the debris leftover from the storm,” he said. “If people suffered damage, they need to report it to us and FEMA.” |
 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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