Flood board discusses upcoming assessments

Jan. 20--Members of the Cherokee County Flood Board convened on Tuesday morning for their first meeting since the Christmas weekend flooding in the Illinois River watershed.

In attendance from the Oklahoma Water Resources Board was Matt Rollins, who serves as state coordinator for the National Flood Insurance Program.

"We had several homes that were completely flooded along the Illinois River," said District 1 Commissioner Doug Hubbard. "Some were submerged to the rooftops."

District 3 Commissioner Clif Hall said several county roads were inundated by the flooding, and that the last road to emerge from the waters had done so on Jan. 16.

"That was due to the lake [Tenkiller] backing up over our roads," Hall said. "The lake got up to 36 feet above normal."

No monetary costs of the damage have been figured because those affected are still submitting requests for assessments. Inspectors are expected to arrive in Cherokee County on Wednesday or Thursday.

Rollins said Oklahoma Emergency Management, the Small Business Administration and FEMA will send personnel, and that findings will be submitted to the office of Governor Mary Fallin. If the damage assessments reach a threshold amount, they will be sent to the Obama administration for a "presidential declaration."

"They will be here for the duration, until everybody is taken care of," said Mike Underwood, director of emergency management for Tahlequah and Cherokee County.

The regular agenda items involved discussion and reports. Much of the discourse focused on what the board and residents can expect in the coming months when dealing with FEMA, the NFIP and OEM. The only vote taken after accepting the minutes was the unanimous authorization to send a letter requesting assistance to Mike Smith of the Oklahoma Floodplain Managers Association.

The OWRB is the coordinating state agency for the National Flood Insurance Program in Oklahoma, and partners with other state and federal agencies and local governments to prevent and mitigate flood disasters.

"There are 18 businesses along the river that have checked in with the OWRB or the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission," Rollins said. "There are also about 75 individuals [property owners] that have contacted us so far. When the team arrives, I will hand over the copy of my list. They will use that to go about looking at the damages and talking to the individuals. I'm sure there are more than that, but there will be some that don't want to talk with you."

All legitimate inspectors will show ID, provide contact information, and often carry letters verifying their missions. No inspector -- whether state, local, county or federal -- will request or accept any payment for services.

Some affected persons may carry federal flood insurance. Rollins and Underwood said claimants, whether receiving checks from insurance or disaster claims, could find conditions attached to compensation.

To prevent repeat reimbursements, the NFIP may insist that policy holders implement anti-flood measures, or even request buyout of very high risk structures. FEMA relief will typically go to those who are not insured, or underinsured, and the payouts will not match what would be received in an insurance claim.

"The FEMA payments are intended to provide short-term assistance," Rollins said.

Residents and businesses still have time to request assessments. Information can be sent to the OWRB, or to the office of the Cherokee County Clerk, which will forward requests to the agency. Requests should include names, addresses, phone numbers and photos.

Underwood said it is not necessary for residents or businesses to wait for an assessment to begin cleanup, but photos should be taken before cleanup to document damage.

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