Impact: Over $1M for Columbiana Co.

A telephone number for reporting flood damage is being kept busy.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- A preliminary estimate puts damage from weekend flooding in Columbiana County at more than $1 million, and that figure is expected to climb, Commissioner Gary Williams said this morning.
Local, state and federal officials are continuing to assess damage today. A revised, final figure could be closer to $1.4 million, Williams said.
Establishing a dollar amount is necessary to apply for state and federal aid, Mary Smith, deputy director of the county emergency management agency, explained Tuesday.
Officials have been assessing flood damage since Monday. They also are asking residents, businesses, agencies and local governments to call the emergency management agency with details on how they were affected.
The number, (330) 424-7139, was being used heavily Tuesday, Smith said.
Aid will be sought to pay for damage and to compensate local emergency agencies for the cost of responding to the flood, including staffing expenses, Smith said.
Plans call for submitting a final damage estimate to Gov. Bob Taft, who in turn is expected to ask federal authorities to declare the county a disaster area, Williams said. That declaration will make the county eligible for aid.
It will be several weeks before the county will learn whether aid will be forthcoming, Smith said.
Sunday rain impact
The county's western section was hit the hardest when Sunday's soaking rains caused creeks to overflow their banks, sending muddy water gushing into some homes and businesses.
Isolated areas in Lisbon and the unincorporated community of West Point in Madison Township also were affected.
High water forced several dozen families to evacuate. They began returning to their homes Monday.
Much of the damage involved flooded basements, although some first-floor residential flooding was reported. A garage was swept away by high water in Homeworth, located in Knox Township, Smith said.
Several roads in the flooded areas were closed Sunday. Most were reopened by Monday afternoon, except for County Home Road in Center Township. That road was open by Tuesday.
The state closed U.S. Route 30 near Hanoverton on Sunday night after high water washed over it.
Culvert replacement
On Tuesday, the Ohio Department of Transportation announced it was replacing the culvert on a section of Route 30 east of Hanoverton.
The work, to begin Aug. 8, was not made necessary by the flooding, said Becky McCarty, an ODOT spokeswoman.
The $193,174 undertaking has been planned for some time, McCarty said.
Work is expected to conclude by Sept. 30. Traffic will be reduced to one lane during construction.