FEMA buyout may be only form of flood relief
The
"There have been problems with flooding in that area for as long as anyone can remember," Ball said. "But up until recently, there wasn't much the county could do to help."
Developers began building in the area north of
Since then, the area has undergone some major developments, including newer subdivisions at a higher elevation farther north on
"It's basically a soup bowl," Ball said. "You take that coupled with the near-zero elevation change and the shape of that road and it's no wonder it floods there. There's nowhere for the water to go."
Judge-Executive
That's where the disaster declaration became important, Mattingly said. The county mailed out 11 notices of voluntary interest to residents along
"The fact that they sit in a floodplain won't be assessed in their property values," Mattingly said. "It guarantees them the best deals possible."
And its exactly what
Baker, who lives on
"There will be water everywhere," she said, "I mean everywhere. It makes it look like we're sitting in the middle of a river."
Flood waters, she said, have rotted out the floorboards on at least three sheds in her backyard and trapped her in the house more times than she can remember.
"It can come up to your waist in the middle of the road," she said. "There's no way a little car is getting through that."
It's a relief, she said, to know there could be a solution on its way.
But right next door, Joann and
"We have a price," she said. "But obviously we're not going to get it. They're going to try and get this house for as cheap as they can. So we're staying put. We're not leaving without kicking and screaming first."
Sure, she said, there's bad flooding on
"I don't understand why they won't consider something else," Clary said. "There has to be some reason the county wants this property."
Both Mattingly and Ball denied any ulterior motives. The plan, they say, is just a response to years of complaints they've received about bad flooding in the area.
The county entered into an agreement with the
In contrast, the FEMA-Daviess County acquisition agreement would cost
"It's a no-brainer," Mattingly said. "There's no way we're going to spend
It's up to each homeowner whether they agree to the FEMA buyout, but the Clarys say they worry that if they own the only house left on the street, the county will stop paying to maintain it. That's a part of the story, Ball said, that remains up in the air.
"It's a matter of principle," he said. "I just feel like it would be the right thing to do."
But Mattingly said his vote would be "no." In that scenario, he said, the county would have given the homeowners plenty of other opportunities, and it just wouldn't be worth it to maintain an already damaged road for a single house.
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