August 28, 1998
Water, water everywhere
By Malinda Ruble
Staff Writer
Everywhere you go this week, people are talking about the same thing -- flooding. Basements often were a topic of conversation.
For the first time in decades, Seneca County residents saw heavy rains flood basements, close city streets and county roads and contribute to two deaths.
Thursday morning the Seneca County commissioners and Public Safety Director Dan Stahl looked at the issue further.
Stahl showed the commissioners photos of some seriously flooded areas in the county and discussed ways to improve the situation.
''Republic and Bettsville were hit the worst,'' Commissioner Kenny Estep said.
Since Seneca County is contiguous to Wood County, which has been declared to be in a state of emergency, small businesses may see some financial help.
Gov. George Voinovich is requesting a Small Business Administration disaster declaration. If Wood County meets the criteria set by the SBA, low-interest disaster loans may be available to eligible residents and businesses in Seneca County.
''The disaster loans should be coming in the next couple of days,'' Stahl said. ''Seneca County could benefit because we are contiguous.''
''And that could help places like the flower shop,'' Estep said, refering to Flowerland on SR 18 near Fostoria. ''Let's see if there are any programs for the residents.''
To improve weather monitoring, Stahl suggested a county network.
''Willis (Einsel) came up with a good idea of making a network of reporting. We need to work on getting some information back into the Public Safety Building,'' he said.
Stahl suggested residents could participate in monitoring rain and flood levels on the river and creeks to help better predict flooding.
However, more than monitoring needs to be done. Several of the residences which flooded had been built on a flood plain, Stahl said.
''We need to encourage our trustees to write into their zoning laws that they (residents) have to have approval from us'' before building, Stahl said.
Stahl said flood-plain management must become stricter.
''From a flood-plain management standpoint, I think we need to monitor any large construction projects, including sewers and ODOT (Ohio Department of Transportation) projects,'' he said.