2007 Flood Recovery

1. 2007 Flood Recovery Five Years Later

2. History on the 2007 Columbia Co. Flooding:75 % within or near Vernonia

3. At the Confluence of Two Rivers

4. Houses within Floodway and 100 yr. Plain

5. After the Water Receded

6. December of 2007 Left Vernonia and Columbia County with: • $98+ Million in damages • Ruined schools • 840+ homes impacted • 30+ businesses impacted • $? Million in cleanup costs • Questions about Vernonia’s survival

7. the city, in particular, faced some essential questions: • How would we recover from at least $98 Million in damages? • Could we beat the typical post-flood 40% loss of jobs and businesses? • What would the impact be on the local housing market? • Would new elevations look as bad as the 1998 projects? • Would Vernonia still have Schools? • What would happen to the Senior Center, Clinic and Food Bank? • How would the City cover the cost of FEMA match for: • Garbage removal • Major infrastructure damage Economic Impacts Civic Impacts

8. What happens to the businesses and households after a disaster? • Use insurance, savings and borrowing to fix their problem • Remain in community (mostly) • Recover quicker • Their capacity is increased (at least the skills aspect) • Get seen/counted • Often do not know what to do • Have insufficient (or no) resources to recover • Struggle for months or years • Disappear from the community • Don’t get seen/counted Often depends on their “capacity,” i.e. money, skills, and time Those With Capacity Those Without Capacity

9. And Their communities suffer: • Fewer students in the schools • Lost time and economic opportunity waiting for another entrepreneur to fill the niche • A diminished workforce • Fewer households, businesses, etc. to spread the cost of utilities, sewer, water, etc. • Lost tax base • In short, the reverse of economic development!

10. Are there solutions? One answer is A comprehensive disaster recovery, with help from outside the community

11. What does “comprehensive” mean? • A wide range of projects meeting a wide range of needs • Coordination and community support for particular “heavy lifts” • Local leaders, regional leaders, state and federal leaders all working in concert • Individual projects completed • Supported and run by benefited organizations • Large, one-off projects • “Spotty” recovery Comprehensive Non-comprehensive

12. Immediate Leadership Team Response Set a Vision Collect Data Long-term Planning Good Communication Effective Partnerships Outside Resources Keys to a Comprehensive recovery

13. Resources(in order of appearance) • Spontaneous Volunteers • Donations • FEMA, Individual Assistance • Construction Volunteers • DOL disaster jobs program • Foundations • Private resources • HMGP/FMA • CDBG • HOME • Oregon VOAD

14. Disaster Recovery has two Distinct Financial phases

15. The Public aid was a team effort which needed all of these players • Gov. Kulongoski • Gov. Kitzhaber • Senator Wyden • Senator Merkley • Oregon Emerg. Mgt. • FEMA Region X Staff • Or. Bus. Dev. Dept. • Corp. of Engineers • HUD Portland Office • Sen. Betsy Johnson • Comm. Tony Hyde • Rep. Brad Witt • Columbia Co.: BOCC and Staff • City Council • Community Action Team • NOWCDC (regional revolving funds) State & Federal Local

16. This work has been a Heavy Lift But the Results Are Significant $30 Million

17. Much behind the scenes work has benefited the city over 5 yrs. • FEMA/USACE Mapping • Jobless Grants • Oregon Solutions • CAT Program Advances • HMGP / FMA Grants • Four CDBG Grants • FEMA Advances • Flood Staff • County Legal • Federal Waiver of $3.3 M limit (Schools)

18. Flood Assistance to Date: • Met with and advised nearly 850 victims • Made unrecorded number of referrals (thousands) to: • FEMA • State and County agencies • Donation sites – food, fire wood, clothing, furniture, lumber, sheetrock, insulation, etc. • Nonprofits – housing, energy assistance, etc. • 85,000+ hours (41 person years) of volunteer time • 22,000 hours of skilled volunteer labor (130 jobs to date) • $23 million in approved FEMA grants • $2 million of CDBG funds awarded • $500,000 HOME Grant • $500,000+ in cash and in-kind donations • $800,000+ in cash grants to victims • Created regulatory systems for City and County gov’t. • De-facto City planning staff for all flood issues

19. Flood Recovery Staff work:three kinds of FEMA projects • Homeowners and Small Businesses • Elevations (39) • Acquisitions (42) • Large Business Projects • WOEC - Acquisition • Senior Center - Acquisition • Health Clinic - Acquisition • Sentry Market – Floodproofing • The Schools • Special Packaging/Federal Waiver • Acquisition

20. Work in Progress

21. A Completed Project!

22. Despite these successful efforts, the community has still suffered: • Large losses of community wealth • Tax Base losses • Out-migration • Conflicts • Demo Contractor selection • Unhappy Elevation Clients • CDBG Wars • Projects delayed • Funds disallowed • Decks • Floodway • Ongoing compliance concerns • School bond • Reduction in School District students Economic Impact Impact on Community Members