Page 14
The INDEPENDENT, February 21, 2008
Learn more about flood insurance
From page 5
an example, if your home was
built in the “A” zone in 1990,
your premium will reflect the
high flood risk.
There are ways to reduce
high premium rates, but they
come with their own price tags.
Raising your home a required
amount above the “base flood
elevation” (BFE is determined
by the federal government), or
moving it to a location that is
safe according to the map, will
reduce your premium rate, but
both of these options are ex-
pensive.
Another consideration, one
that we all need to be aware of,
is that your flood insurance will
not cover all of your losses. It is
designed to cover about 80
percent of the recovery cost.
Beyond this, there is the
question of “substantial dam-
age,” a designation that means
your home was damaged to the
extent that it is worth only 50
percent, or less, of its pre-flood
value. This determination
would trigger the ICC element
of your flood insurance policy,
providing funds to help with el-
evating or relocating your
home. Most of us, however,
don’t want to wait for another
flood, and there is no guaran-
tee that your home would be
designated as “substantially
damaged.”
Got a home to rent? Need to rent?
Columbia County Flood Re-
lief Center (CCFR) is interested
in finding homeowners willing
to rent homes that are current-
ly for sale, to accomodate resi-
dents displaced by the flood.
Rental applications are
available at the CCFR Center
at 939 Bridge Street, for any-
one who would like to rent a
home in Vernonia while your
damaged home is being re-
paired.
For more information, home-
owners willing to rent and those
needing a place to rent, should
call Jill Hult at 503-369-5182.
CCFR seeks heaters, paint, etc.
Columbia County Flood Re-
lief (CCFR) is asking those
who are done with the free
heaters to consider returning
them to the donation center as
there are still people in need of
heaters to dry out homes.
CCFR says there is a contin-
uing need for volunteers. Do-
nated supplies, such as; paint,
brushes, rollers, and other wall
finishing items could be put to
good use in many households
working on flood recovery now.
Vernonia Flood Packages
Carpet • Pad • Vinyl
Free In-Home Estimates
Professional Installation
503-936-3889
The Floor Covering Store
123 Engle Ave., Molalla
CCB14369
Mention this ad at time of sale.
Not good with other discounts or promotions
Offer ends 3/31/08
lood
ial F ith
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e
p
w
S
ages
Pack Number
A
FEM
The Planning Commission public hearing on Flood Plain Ordinance adoption, held on Febru-
ary 7 at the Vernonia Community Church, was held in front of a standing room only crowd.
The ordinance, which outlines criteria for substantial damage determinations and what op-
tions are available for those identified as having substantial damage was approved by Ver-
nonia City Council later the same evening.
Letters
From page 3
stay. I don’t know what I would
have done without them.
I write this not to complain
about the City/County, but with
concern that lack of communi-
cations in a life-threatening
emergency is not serving public
safety. Do you know how much
has been spent on emergency
services? I’m certain all of our
officials, county and otherwise
have spent boodles of tax dol-
lars to attend these sessions
with the slick brochures and ex-
pensive training. (I’m certain
because I have talked to folks
who attended them.) I remem-
ber an exercise Vernonia public
safety people attended at the
high school about 6 months
ago. There were helicopters,
police, etc. Quite an event. So
did they learn anything? Where
were they when we had a
REAL emergency? Were they
waiting for Al Qaeda to invade
Vernonia?
Here are my questions:
1. Why didn’t police notify
residents in the flood area?
They DID have time. With 5 po-
licemen you would think a few
of them could notify the affect-
ed residents. Isn’t that what
public safety is all about?
2. Since Fire knew we were
to evacuate, why didn’t they
use sirens? Water was not yet
over the bank where I live. (At
least they knew we were sup-
posed to evacuate, thank you.)
3. I’ve been told that the
County has a phone system
that can automatically dial
every resident in the County
during an emergency. I’ll bet
this was paid for with tax dol-
lars in the form of a grant. Why
didn’t they use it?
4. Why are the shelters lo-
cated so if the streets/highway
floods on either side – Nehalem
or Rock Creek – people cannot
get to shelters? I was never in-
formed that there WAS a shel-
ter at Lincoln School. The guys
stopping traffic from going over
the bridge at Rock Creek didn’t
know that either. Just said I
couldn’t get to the shelter up
the hill. Again, a communica-
tion breakdown.
5. Are not river measuring
devices in effect and if not, why
not? If so, was ANYONE moni-
toring them?
6. Flood warnings were on
the local news, on the National
Weather Service. The flood
wasn’t a TOTAL surprise. City
and County emergency servic-
es not having an action plan is.
Where were they?
Thank you to The Indepen-
dent for such good information
on the flood/FEMA, etc. I could-
n’t attend any of the meetings
because I didn’t have a place to
stay here, so your recent is-
sues were particularly helpful.
There are a lot of you who
lost more than I did. Please talk
or write to the City counselors,
the County Commissioners, or
to The Independent . I hope it
won’t flood again, but it could.
Consider your comments on
lack of communications as con-
structive criticism. If we don’t
speak up, we’ll never change
anything. If there is another fast
flood, we could drown in the
middle of the night.
To emergency personnel,
both City and County, it is un-
likely Al Qaeda will attack Ver-
nonia. Our men and some
women – loggers, hunters,
women who know how to use
firearms – would make short
work of them. No, our threat is
the Nehalem and Rock Creek.
Our threat is City/County lack
of coordination. So please, for-
get all the meetings and the
slick printed material; improve
communications and prepare
an action plan to protect us at
home, save us from drowning if
it floods at night.
In closing, I want to tell you
how I admire the volunteers in
this town. I have never lived in
a place with such spirit. You are
amazing. You generous folks
make this a wonderful place to
live. God bless you.
Mary Margaret Sykes
Vernonia
Please see page 20