Flooding a year ago cost nearly $3 million in Newton County

April 29--NEOSHO, Mo. -- As Nicole Velasco drove to work on the morning of April 29, 2017, she felt uneasy when she noticed that the heavy rain was causing flash flooding in some areas of Neosho.

As she arrived to work and realized the rain was only getting heavier, she decided to return home to get her son and daughter.

"It was raining like crazy," Velasco said.

Once she got home, she asked her 18-year-old son, Marcus, if he wanted to come along with her to pick up her 3-year-old daughter who was staying at her grandmother's. Marcus wasn't too worried about the heavy rain and decided to stay home. Velasco said about 10 minutes after she left her home, her son called to let her know that he was trapped inside the house as water was rapidly coming in.

"He called me and said, 'Mom, there is water coming in the house. It looks like a river in front of our yard,'" Velasco recounted.

Velasco said her son, along with neighbors who also were trapped, was assisted by rescue-boat crews.

The Velascos were one of more than 300 residents in Newton County who were affected by the 2017 spring flooding.

Damage and loss

According to FEMA data acquired from the Newton County Emergency Management Office, Newton County which received the most damage compared with surrounding counties recorded at least 284 homeowners and 85 renters who experienced some type of property damage. As of July 2017, FEMA reported Newton County to have about $2,723,000 in verified losses.

"There was a huge variation (in property damage)," said Charla Geller, emergency management director in Newton County.

Some homes were destroyed; others had minimal outside damage.

On May 24, 2017, Gov. Eric Greitens requested a major disaster declaration for affected areas, including Newton County, that were to receive federal assistance based on their assessed needs.

Returning home

When Velasco finally arrived at her house later in the afternoon, she said the place was almost unrecognizable. She said there was at least 2 feet of water still inside the home. Furniture, photo albums, kitchen cabinets, appliances, among other things, were ruined.

"It was just mind-blowing," Velasco said. "I don't even think it sunk in until the next day."

Although the family lost almost all its furniture, the house wasn't destroyed.

Velasco said that the damage to the house totaled $28,000. The family was able to receive some FEMA funding as well as community donation to help with some of the expenses, including replacing the carpet, kitchen cabinets, wallboard and interior paint.

Velasco added that it took more time to clean up the debris than the actual rebuilding. She also said members of the community and her kids' baseball team helped her throughout the whole process.

"It was just heartwarming to think that that many people came around to volunteer and donate to those in need," Velasco said.

The family had to split, with half of them moving in with Velasco's mother and the other half staying at her grandmother's until the house was repaired. The Velascos were able to return home in July.

Velasco said she feels fortunate because there are many more families in the county who haven't been able to move back as they did. As for her children, she said she's trying to keep their lives as normal as possible.

Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri, based in Joplin, was one of the organizations providing resources to households affected by the 2017 spring flooding. It worked in 25 counties that had been declared for individual assistance, including Newton County. Through the state declaration, a disaster case manager was hired to assist individuals and households and guide them through the long-term recovery steps.

Brian Harter, a disaster case manager at Catholic Charities, said when he meets with impacted households, he gathers their information to determine their identity, assesses the scope of the property damage, inquires if they've received FEMA funding and verifies that the money was spent on what FEMA designated it for.

"The whole purpose of a disaster case management is to help a community stay intact by modeling how you come together as a community, how you pool your resources and how you leverage one resource against another," said Callie Lankford, disaster case program manager with Catholic Charities.

"We're here to guide them to available resources," Lankford added.

Resources can include assisting households with rental services, connecting them with a construction company, cleanups or helping them appeal for FEMA or insurance funding that was denied, Lankford said.

Next time?

Tal Clubbs, whose family lives in Granby, said he knew something was wrong when he saw his neighbor getting his belongings out of his house. He immediately told his wife and younger daughter to leave the house and drive to the main road. He said when he went back inside his house, the water was above his knees. He was trapped inside until the fire department came to rescue him.

Clubbs said when they went back inside the house a couple of hours later, the water had receded, but the damage was extensive.

Their total loss, including contents, was $90,000. To cover some of the expenses, they took out a loan from the federal Small Business Administration in addition to the FEMA funding and community donation they had received. The family was able to move back to its home in September.

"Everything is going OK as far as moving back in, but it does make us nervous for the next time," Clubbs said, fearful that the area could flood again.

County roads, bridges

Newton County Commissioner Alan Cook said two to three county roads had to be temporarily closed for repair following the flood. Several other roads were heavily washed out, but crews were able fix them within a week, Cook said.

As for bridges, two to three bridges were also damaged to a certain extent. Cook said the bridge on Norway Road was the only one that was severely damaged by the flood. It took about two to three weeks to repair the damage on the bridges.

Cook said the best way to prepare for this type of flooding is to identify ahead of time the roads and bridges that may need immediate assistance in the event of a flood.

"Knowing where those critical parts are allows us to respond quicker," Cook said. "You do the best you can with the circumstances in front of you."

Three towns

Most of the damage in Newton County occurred in Neosho, Seneca and Granby. According to Megan Terry, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, Neosho received about 5.73 inches of rain on April 30, 2017.

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