By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

NEW RICHMOND - As the Ohio River crept up its banks this week, officials here continued to revise disaster and recovery plans to make sure they are as prepared as they can be.

In flood-prone New Richmond, preparing for rising water is a year-round exercise.

"The village does more to prepare for, deal with and clean up after floods than most, and I think it can't hurt for us to be known as one of the most prepared communities in the state," said Village Administrator David Kennedy.

Although no homes were threatened by this week's high waters, Village Council is considering a plan that details how inspectors would evaluate structures with substantial damage. The goal is to ensure that property owners get a fair shake in appraisals that would help determine what insurance companies would pay.

The National Flood Insurance Program gives village residents a 10 percent discount on flood insurance.

The plan that Kennedy has given council encourages homeowners with flood damage to submit appraisals they've had on their homes for recent purchase or refinancing. When an appraisal is unavailable, the proposal calls for county inspectors to evaluate the damage and appraisals on similar structures to help determine the value, Kennedy said.

"This is really a pretty important process for the recovery after a flood, and it's designed to be fair to people without appraisals. If the county's appraisals are low in comparison to private appraisals, we need to add a percentage to even the score a bit," he said. "It's all about consistency. Life's a lot easier in the flood plain world if there's a consistent method for dealing with everything."

As part of the insurance program, the village also sends educational materials to residents and notifies new residents of the river level that would affect them. The first homes in the village are affected at 56.8 feet, Kennedy said. Ohio River flood stage at Cincinnati is 52 feet.

Mayor Terry Durrette took office right after the 1997 flood, and that experience has caused him to continue to make flood preparation a priority. "We're breathing a sigh of relief" that the river stayed in its banks this week, he said.

In addition to standard disaster plans, the village established a Youth Advisory Commission in the last year aimed at helping children while parents deal with their homes and businesses in the event of a flood.

And every December, the village participates in a flood drill at New Richmond Middle School, which is on a hill above the flood plain.

"Right now we're recognized as a model for other towns for that drill," Durrette said. "We use the drill to identify problems. But we've found that this is a real good community with a real good sense of teamwork."