BY TOM O'NEILL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
BATAVIA -- County commissioners on Wednesday approved a compliance agreement to show how it will allocate more than $1.5 million in assistance to victims of the Flood of '97.
Some residents along the Ohio River in Clermont County are still pursuing buyouts, flood-proofing or property elevation.
The agreement is an incremental step in the lengthy paperwork process of receiving assistance from the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (OEMA). In it, the county agrees to audit requirements. The funding total of $1,553,436 from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Flood Hazard Mitigation Project does not include assistance to New Richmond flood victims, who are handled separately because they already were involved in 1996 flood assistance. The '97 flood damage was simply added to the '96 program. Half of the money is from FEMA, the other half from OEMA. The assistance program is entirely voluntary.
People may choose from a residential buyout or flood-proofing, which could involve sealing basements, constructing floodwalls and moving large appliances above the flood plain. Others have opted for elevation, in which homes are raised.
Also at Wednesday's regular meeting, commissioners designated the Department of Community Planning and Development as the official agency to administer the project.
