By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Seven Mile Creek in Somerville rose so quickly during the heavy rain on June 15 that Carrie Cooper had just enough time to salvage some of her possessions before her house filled with 4 feet of water.

When Cooper, 25, returned to her house, the water still was up to her mid-thigh. Mud covered the walls, and the refrigerator was floating in the water.

"It was like somebody filled up my house with water and stirred it with a spoon," she said. "Everything had been tossed around."

Since then Cooper, who has no flood insurance, and her three young children have been living with relatives while she tries to piece her life back together.

On Tuesday, she was one of the 23 victims of the June 14-15 flood who applied for financial aid at the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) temporary disaster assistance office at Hamilton High School's media center.

The flood damaged more than 300 Butler County homes. Authorities have not yet calculated the amount of damage.

The SBA's temporary office in Hamilton is accepting applications for low-interest loans to cover uninsured flood damages from flood victims in Butler and its neighboring counties of Hamilton, Warren, Preble and Montgomery in Ohio and Dearborn, Franklin and Union counties in Indiana.

These individual loans for flood-damaged homes could be as high as $200,000.

Ohio residents not eligible for SBA loans can apply for state individual assistance grants. No grant can exceed $15,000.

Since the flood, Marvin Jackson and his family have been using the restroom and shower at his in-laws' house around the corner from his home in New Miami.

The floodwater ruined his septic system, making his bathroom unusable.

Jackson, 30, came to the disaster assistance office Tuesday to apply for an SBA loan to replace his septic system.

"Hopefully, I'll get it taken care of this week," he said.

The flood destroyed all the furniture in Dallas and Anna Arnett's Fairfield apartment, as well as their pickup truck.

"It pretty much ruined about everything in our apartment," he said. "I'm hoping they can help me out."

Margaret and Phil Kilgore live where Four Mile and Seven Mile creeks merge in St. Clair Township.

The flooding creeks caused their basement to fill with 6 feet of water, destroying the furnace and Phil Kilgore's welding tools he uses for his business.

The Kilgores and their 12-year-old son are staying with an uncle because of the lack of a furnace and the stench left by the water and mud in their basement.

"We put dehumidifiers in basement to dry it out and get the mosquitoes out," said Margaret Kilgore, 51.She said their flood insurance won't compensate them for all of the damages.

Cooper found out Tuesday that she doesn't qualify for an SBA loan because she doesn't have sufficient income. But she might qualify for a state individual assistance grant.

She said it's difficult moving from one relative's house to another the past two weeks. She's hoping for enough financial assistance to repair her house. In the meantime, she's trying to keep her spirits up.

"I try to put on a happy face," she said. "But it's hard."

Where to apply

The temporary Small Business Administration office for flood aid applications will be at the high school, 1165 Eaton Ave., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., today and Thursday.

Because the high school's air-conditioning unit is broken, the office will move next week to Wilson Junior High School, 714 Eaton Ave.

It will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday of next week and from 8 a.m. to noon on July 12. If the volume of applicants warrants, the office will remain open a third week.

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com