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Monday, October 31, 2011

Mold Forces Kids Out of School

St. Mary’s College recently announced that 350 students were moved out of their dormitory and into temporary housing. The move impacts students that are housed in the Prince George and Caroline residence halls. The Maryland College took the steps due to ongoing mold problems in the student housing following heavy summer rains.

Earlier in October, it was reported that at least 40 students from the University of Delaware were forced to leave their dorm rooms also due to mold issues. In addition to these places of higher education, a number of elementary through high schools across the region have also had to deal with mold problems this school year.

Mold spores can be found virtually everywhere. All it takes is moisture, which can be in the form of flooding, broken pipes, leaking roofs and windows or even just elevated humidity levels for mold to begin to grow. People who come in contact with elevated levels of mold may suffer allergies, asthma attacks and even possible infections in some cases.

Many school administrators report that Hurricane Irene, along with a damp wet period that followed the historic hurricane, made conditions ideal for mold growth in structures that suffered water damage. “When conditions are right, mold can begin growing indoors in as quick as 24 hours,” reported Susan White, Ph.D., CMC. Dr. White is the President of SussexEnvironmental Health Consultants (SEHC), a leading mold and IAQ consulting firm. “Not only have schools with tight maintenance budgets been forced to tackle mold issues head on, but everything from single family residences to commercial structures are now dealing with this issue,” she continued.

Basement Flood Closes Historic Site

A basement flood at Woodside National Historic Site has prompted the indefinite closure of the home.

A clean water pipe burst last Thursday night in the basement of the boyhood home of William Lyon Mackenzie King, Canada’s longest-serving prime minister.

The basement includes an activity area, a theatre, washrooms, offices and storage space. Officials said none of the home’s historic artifacts was damaged, and the main and upper floors weren’t damaged.

However, materials from the basement have been moved upstairs, and basement rugs, baseboards and drywall will have to be replaced.

The home itself will be closed until further notice, but the grounds will remain open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interpretive staff will be on hand, and admission is free.

Family Seeks Answer to Flood

Linda Leenstra still panics whenever it rains even though it has been two months since flood waters from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee caused her family's house to

collapse.

"The weather is dry now so that is good," Leenstra said. "I get panicky when it rains at night."

The family of four is still displaced after the foundation of their one-story house on Limecrest Road started caving into the basement. They are going to move the house 60 feet higher on the mountain to avoid future flooding, but they are once again battling unusual nature as Sussex County experienced its first snowstorm of the season.

Leenstra hopes that the snow will not delay plans to build the new foundation and move the house higher on the mountain, but mostly she hopes that the township and county will provide assistance and take responsibility for the 20 years of flooding on the property.

"We just wish the town will do something. I can't really pay a mortgage, rent and make repairs all at once," Leenstra said. "They are so afraid of litigation. I do not want to get to that point."

Leenstra blames the flooding on a 15-inch drain pipe on her property and water running off the slope from neighbors' properties. Her house and basement had been flooding for years prior to the hurricanes in August and September that ruined her home.

However, both the county and township are unclear about who is responsible for the pipe and flooding since the pipe runs under county-owned Limecrest Road, but it then connects into the township's pipes.

"This is a hugely complicated issue that has to do with ground water, water coming off a slope, huge draining areas (and) size of the pipe," County Administrator John Eskilson said. "It is not a simple matter by any means."

The county and township had a meeting about two weeks ago regarding the Leenstra family's problem, and they agreed that township Engineer Joe Golden would look at the piping and draining issues in the area, according to Eskilson.

Township Attorney Fred Semrau said that once Golden evaluates the matter, the county and township can discuss whose jurisdiction the issues fall into.

"(Golden) is trying to take a look to see what happened," Semrau said. "We don't even know if it has to do with the pipe or if those are things that have to do with an act of nature or even the property owner themselves."

Leenstra said that she wants the township and county to stop going back and forth.

"They agreed the pipes need to be bigger," she said. "They keep playing that back-and-forth game."

Money for Flood Damage Repair

An ordinance allocating $50,000 to pay for Hurricane Irene-related damage done to borough property was introduced at the Tuesday, Oct. 25, Borough Council meeting.

The $50,000, which will come out of the capital improvement fund, will be used to pay for three separate projects — a sinkhole on Fawn Run and drainage repairs on Woodland Terrace and Willow Avenue Road.

Borough Council received an estimate on the sinkhole project which puts the cost of filling the hole at $13,000, plus materials.

Council members said that it would be difficult to estimate the amount needed for materials on the project, so they decided to appropriate an additional $2,000 based on the estimated cost of materials.

The sinkhole on Fawn Run is so large that it cannot be accurately measured, said Councilwoman Martha Tersigni.

“Hopefully it will come in at a lot less. If you shine a flashlight down there, you can't see the bottom,” said Clerk Lisa Burd.

“If we shoot a little shorter, we have to go back and do it again, which is probably a little worse,” said Councilman Eric Weger. “I don’t see it going over $50,000 for the three major problems that we have here. I would certainly be comfortable with $50,000 and hope we only use $20,000,” Weger said.

“We’re hoping that all these funds will be reimbursed to us by FEMA,” said Tersigni.

Courthouse Flood Causes $500,000 in Damage

Flooding from a broken pipe in a Pasadena Courthouse bathroom has caused an estimated $500,000 damage.

Courthouse operations are continuing normally on Monday.

Fire spokeswoman Lisa Derderian says 30 firefighters were dispatched to the six-story courthouse at 5:40 a.m. Monday when a fire alarm was activated by the flood waters.

It's not clear when the pipe ruptured but Derderian says the water may have been accumulating all weekend.

A second-floor bathroom sink pipe broke and flooded two floors. A first floor office and computers are damaged.

Damage is estimated at $250,000 to the building and $250,000 to the contents.

Cooking Related Fire Causes $3000 in Damage to Apartment

Unattended cooking caused $3,000 in smoke damage to an apartment on Madison's east side Saturday night.

The fire was reported about 7 p.m. Saturday at 408 Parkwood Lane, according to a news release from the Madison Fire Department.

"A resident of the 16-unit apartment complex returned home to find his apartment filled with smoke," Fire Department spokeswoman Bernadette Galvez said in the release. "As he exited the building, he pulled the fire alarm and called 911. A pot of oil and food left on the electric stove caused smoke damage but no fire damage."

The fire displaced a family, who are staying with relatives.

No injuries were reported.

Vero Beach School Deals with Flooding

By late morning, the sky was clearer and some of the flood waters in hard-hit areas were starting to recede, but the early Monday soaking left its mark.

Vero Beach was one of the soggiest areas, having received 3.77 inches of rain between midnight and 9:20 a.m., according to National Weather Service meteorologist John Pendergrast. That nearly set a record -- except for hurricane-marked 2004, when 23.01 inches fell in one month, October was the wettest of any month in Vero Beach at almost 22 inches, Pendergrast said.

"It's been a real soaker,'' Pendergrast said. He said an area of low pressure came together with the remnants of the weekend's cold front and a very moist atmosphere to produce the downpour.

Rain chances fall to about 50 percent during the rest of the day, and only lingering showers are possible tonight for Trick-or-Treaters, he said.

No rain is forecast on Tuesday, which is a good thing, since Indian River will need it to dry out.

At 19th Street and U.S. 1 in Vero Beach an awning at a Sunoco gas station fell down. No one was injured. The manager wasn't sure if water on the awning or heavy winds were the cause.

On Monday morning, rising water east of U.S. 1 on S.R. 60 starting seeping into low-lying Osceola Magnet Elementary School, forcing officials to close it. Parents are urged to pick up children already at the school as classes have been canceled. However, if parents cannot pick up children, school officials will keep them throughout the day.

By mid-morning, Indian River County declared an emergency closure of 13th Street Southwest between 12th Court and 13th Avenue due to a compromised drainage pipe. "The subject roadway will be closed until further notice. A detour route is posted," Indian River officials said in a news release.

Earlier Monday, Linda Friley’s car became a boat on U.S. 1 as several inches of rain fell in about two hours as of 7 a.m., flooding sections of multiple roads and closing one school in Indian River County.

“It’s been brutal,” said Scott Hall with Mike’s Wrecker service.

Friley, of Fort Pierce, was northbound on U.S. 1 at 6:45 a.m. when flooding forced her to veer into the median south of 12th Street where her car stopped working — and began floating.

Water seeped in up to her ankles as the car bobbed in the water. “Luckily it floated to the right side” toward the curb, she said. She dialed 911 and finally around 7:25 a tow truck was able to pull her car out of the water that still filled parts of the road and turned the nearby parking lot at Publix grocery store into a lake.

Police officials said that around 9:15 a.m., two areas appeared to have the worst flooding and were considered a top priority: Royal Palm Pointe at Indian River Boulevard and Beachland Boulevard at State Road A1A. Police were rerouting vehicles around low-lying Royal Palm Pointe at Indian River Boulevard because of high standing water.

Flooding also got in the way of motorists on other parts of U.S. 1: mostly concentrated on streets south of State Road 60. Miracle Mile also was flooded. Officials warned of severe flooding capable of stranding vehicles at 10th Street, and between Eighth and Fourth streets.

There was a string of accidents on Interstate 95 all along the Treasure Coast.

Rains fell periodically through most of the early morning, and then around 7 a.m. a heavy band of showers passed through Indian River County.

The weather service issued an “urban and small stream flood advisory” until 9:15 a.m. for eastern Indian River County, including Vero Beach, Sebastian, Winter Beach, Wabasso, Vero Beach South, Roseland, Gifford and Indian River Shores.

The flooding advisory also covers southeastern Brevard County, including Grant, Barefoot Bay, Indiatlantic, Malabar and Melbourne.

The weather service said “motorists should deactivate cruise control and slow down in heavy rainfall to reduce the risk of hydroplaning. leave safe distance between other vehicles.

“Do not drive your vehicle into areas where the water covers the roadway. the water depth may be too great to allow your car to cross safely."

Indian River County Public Works Department crews were called out to help with the flooding around Vero Beach.

10/31/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: A slight chance of light rain after 1am. Cloudy, with a low around 43. East wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: A chance of light rain, mainly before 8am. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 56. Northeast wind between 11 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 40. North wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 57. North wind around 8 mph.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. South wind between 3 and 7 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 43.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 55.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 45.

Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 58.

Sunday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 59.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Airport Building Flooded

The ground floor of Bangkok's Don Muang International Airport was inundated Tuesday as floodwaters headed toward the already water logged Thai capital.

The Thai Cabinet declared extra holidays from Thursday through Monday to allow Bangkok area residents to cope with the flooding, the Thai News Agency reported. The report said floodwater from the runoff north of the city had already begun flowing into the capital.

Flood relief authorities asked those working at the international airport to move out of the flooded ground floor, the Bangkok Post reported.

While the airport was operating, traffic around the facility was congested and several passengers who arrived at the airport were stranded in the terminals as taxi drivers did not want to get caught at the flooded airport.

The decision by the Cabinet to declare the long weekend holiday was taken because of concerns about high tide, which could worsen the problems.

TNA said latest reports showed floodwaters now extend from Rangsit, north of Bangkok, along Phaholyothin Road to the Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base and Yingcharoen Market.

The Post said concerns heightened among residents, the result of unsuccessful efforts to divert the northern runoff to east and west of the capital.

About 4,000 million cubic meters of floodwater from Ayutthaya, the ancient capital in the north, were expected to hit Bangkok Wednesday, Deputy Bangkok Gov. Pornthep Techapaiboon warned. He said city authorities have been able to drain only about 10 percent of the volume.

Pornthep, however, said a high railway track in the Thawi Watthana district could serve as a barrier on the west side.

Bangkok Gov. Sukhumbhand Paribatra has already warned residents living outside the city's embankments to move to shelters.

"The government has no intention of concealing information. We provide the public with regular updates. But too many new factors keep cropping up," Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said.

People living in flooded locations can expect their areas to remain flooded for another month because of the water coming from the north, the Bangkok Nation reported, quoting flood and water management expert Seri Supharathit.

Already residents in six Bangkok districts have been warned to move their belongings to higher ground.

Thailand has been hit by the worst flooding in five decades, brought on by torrential monsoon rains since July that affected nearly half of the country. The flooding has been blamed for the deaths of more than 350 people.

Flooded Basement Turned Lawsuit

A group of Lisgar homeowners has filed a $25-million lawsuit against the City of Mississauga, the Region of Peel and Metrolinx after flooding damaged their homes over the past several years.
Frank Panza, who has lived on Black Walnut Trail for more than a decade, is one of five homeowners who filed a lawsuit in June. Panza said his basement flooded back in 2009 and last year. It flooded again last week after heavy rainfall.
None of the allegations in the lawsuit have been proven in court.
Panza estimates the latest incident will cost him anywhere from $25,000 to $30,000 to repair. He said about five inches of water came up through his basement's drain.
After the second flood, Panza said his insurance company dropped the water damage rider in his insurance that covers basement flooding. His insurance rates have also increased.
Panza said he and the other homeowners launched the lawsuit because they were frustrated at what they felt was the lack of response from both the City and Region. While financial remuneration is one of the reasons for the lawsuit, Panza said it's also to get the City and Region to communicate formally what they will do to remedy the situation.
"I don't have $30,000 to $40,000 to pay to restore my basement each year," he said. "I shouldn't be expected to walk away from a (part) of my house."
The lawsuit alleges that all three organizations are liable to some degree for the flooding. It further alleges the flooding began after the Lisgar GO Station was built in 2007. The lawsuit states that, based on information obtained by the homeowners' legal counsel, the construction changed the environmental aspects of the area, causing the flooding to happen. Both the City and Region, it also states, had to approve plans to allow the station to be built.
Asked to comment on the flooding and lawsuit, the City issued a response via email.
"The City is concerned about the impact to residents," said Martin Powell, the City's commissioner of transportation and works. "We are thoroughly investigating the issue to understand the cause."
The Region's solicitor and director of legal and risk management Patrick O'Conner said the Region has filed its defence.
"The Region is confident it will be established that the sanitary system functioned as designed," said O'Conner.
Drew Davidson, spokesperson for Metrolinx, said, "We sympathize with these residents for any inconvenience they may have experienced. As this matter has been brought before the court, it is not appropriate for Metrolinx to make any further comment."
Mayor Hazel McCallion weighed in on the issue during Council on Wednesday, saying the City is aware of last week's flooding on Osprey Blvd. and Black Walnut Trail.
"I want to ensure the residents of both streets that City staff are doing everything, turning over every stone, to find out the cause of flooding," said McCallion.
However, other streets also experienced flooding.
Marc Drumm, who lives on Alderwood Trail and is not involved in the lawsuit, said his basement flooded for the first time last week. He said his basement has been "gutted" and that much of the drywall had to be removed due to water damage.

10/28/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. North wind between 3 and 7 mph.

Saturday: Rain, mainly after 11am. High near 43. Breezy, with a east wind between 15 and 23 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Saturday Night: Rain before 2am, then a chance of rain and snow. Low around 36. Breezy, with a north wind between 21 and 25 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a north wind between 22 and 24 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 36. North wind between 7 and 13 mph.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 52.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Future Flooding Concerns City Council

A steady stream of residents has approached the Cleveland City Council since the record rainfall in September flooded homes all over the city. The flow of concerns continued unabated Monday when homeowners on Holiday Drive and Blythe Avenue took complaints before the Council.

In a discussion of the issue, Vice Mayor Avery Johnson asked if he understood correctly that nothing could be done until spring 2012.

“Next to a fire, flooding problems are the worst thing you can have,” Johnson said. “I just don’t see how we can put these people on hold that long.”

City Manager Janice Casteel said hiring at the Public Works Department has been frozen in order to deal with the $900,000 the city will lose from the fire contract as Bradley County continues toward building a fully independent fire department.

“We just don’t have the staff we need,” she said.

Johnson said something needs to be done, even if it means hiring a contractor.

“We approved the plans to do the building across the street and now they’re flooded through no fault of their own,” he said. “Conditions have changed. We just really need to do something to help these people out.”

Casteel said, “In order to avoid a property tax increase, we’re trying to prepare for losing the $900,000 in next year’s budget, and that’s the only way I know to do it.”

Areas discussed during the Sept. 26, Council meeting will be discussed at the Nov. 14 Strategic Planning Workshop. Those areas include Westlake Drive, Arlena Drive, Gail Drive, North Ocoee Street at McIntire Avenue, Village Oak Circle, Centenary Avenue, Pineview Drive, Anatole Lane N.W., and Mohawk Drive.

Fire Causes Extensive Damage to Home

Firefighters arrived just after 12:25 a.m. to the 5000 block of Citation Ave. in Cypress and found flames coming out of the home, said Capt. Marc Stone of the Orange County Fire Authority.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to knock down the flames at the 1,600-square-foot home, he said.

The flames were so intense that firefighters cut holes on the roof to allow some of the flames to escape, and firefighters to be able to enter and fight the fire from the inside.

Firefighters believe the fire may have started in a sunroom or deck, Stone said. Officials are looking into a three-burner camping stove as a possible cause.

The fire is believed to have caused $200,000 in damages to the home and $100,000 to its contents, he said.

No injuries were reported.

First Look at Homes Near Levee Breach

The Army Corps of Engineers said it listened to multiple complaints Monday at the Regency Marriott in Omaha, Neb., but there are many other flood victims who weren't able to make it.

A couple in Percival, Iowa, who lived near the breached levee is one of the victims of the breached levee who couldn't make it to the Marriott.

Phil Peters said the flood literally ruined the family home -- a foundation for a life together with his wife. For the Peters family, their foundation crumbled, sank and was washed away by the flood.

"This is all that's left of our road. (It'd) be kind of hard to get a bus down here now," Peters said, pointing to the destroyed road leading to their house.

When the flood began, Peters and wife Jennifer said they thought they were safe.

"When we bought the house, we were not required to have flood insurance. They said we did not need it cause the levees would protect us," Peters said.

But the levee failed -- the deck was torn from the home, bedrooms sunk feet below the foundation they once sat on and a carpet of mud covered the entire floor of the home.

While others question the Army Corps in Omaha, Peters said he knows his temper may get the best of him.

"My first question would be, 'Why?' I mean everybody knows this could have been averted. They said they were going to release water at several levels from December through March and didn't do it," Peters said.

So the Peters said they try to keep their spirits high by fighting for flood relief, even though they know they can't rebuild their home.

"The foundations are both gone. The best outcome would be to just honor my flood insurance policy and give me enough money to pay off my mortgage, so I can buy another house," Peters said.

The Peters said one really tough part has been keeping their children positive -- especially their 7-year-old son Ethan who doesn't know any other home.

The Peters said they started a "floodraiser" at the church in Percival to help get supplies for everyone who needs to rebuild.

10/25/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 48. Northwest wind between 13 and 16 mph becoming light.

Wednesday: A chance of light rain, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. Southwest wind between 7 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday Night: Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 53. West wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday: Rain. High near 55. North wind between 3 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. North wind between 10 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 52.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 41.

Saturday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 53.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Home Destroyed by Storm

IN October 2005, when Hurricane Wilma ripped through the Florida Keys, Kathy Houtz’s 1,000-square-foot house on Key Haven, a community just east of Key West, was practically destroyed. “It was the biggest trauma I had ever been through,” she said.

But she decided to stay put. Even when your house is wrecked, “you still have to pay the mortgage,” said Ms. Houtz, 52, who works for a credit union in Key West. Besides, “I had nowhere else to live.”

So she piled the soggy contents of the house on the front lawn and ripped out the water-logged wallboard, leaving pipes and electrical wires hanging from exposed studs. For six months, she said, “I lived in a wall-less house with no appliances.” She weighed her options, one of which was to rebuild to current flood-protection standards, which would have meant putting the house on stilts.

Debra Yates, a designer who had moved to Key West from Miami in 1997, advised her to rebuild on the existing slab. That’s because Ms. Yates wanted the reconfigured house to merge into the garden, and vice versa. On stilts, the house would have seemed small and isolated.

But what Ms. Houtz could build depended on what she got from her two insurance companies, one covering wind impact, the other flood damage. “The wind people blamed the flood, the flood people blamed the wind,” she said. And the process of getting a fair settlement involved “years of pain.”

Eventually she received enough money not only to rebuild, but also to upgrade the house substantially. A “cinderblock bunker from the 1960s,” she said, it “had small jalousie windows bringing almost no light to the tiny, tiny rooms.”

Ms. Yates changed nearly everything. She tore down walls to transform what she called “three little chopped-up bedrooms” into a gracious master suite and an office used as a guest room. To add “virtual” space, some walls were covered in mirrors; others painted Benjamin Moore’s River Rock, a dark gray, to make surfaces recede. “It’s her magic disappearing color,” Ms. Houtz said.

The renovation took place slowly, over about four years, as the insurance proceeds came in, and as Ms. Houtz gained confidence in her designer. “Debra would say, ‘We need to open this up and put a mirror here.’ And I was adamantly opposed. Well, she turned out to be absolutely right.”

Most surfaces are white, including white cotton duck canvas curtains and white-tiled walls. Ms. Yates tends to use simple, uniform materials (the kitchen, bathroom and office countertops are all concrete) and rarely specs anything that can’t be ordered through the Home Depot. Ms. Houtz, who paid $240,000 for the house in 1997, said she spent a bit more than that on the renovation.

Outside the house, a new pool and hot tub beckon. One of the goals was to make the property, which is on a narrow canal with boats passing by, feel private. Ms. Yates deployed walls of stucco and corrugated metal, along with carefully placed plantings, to achieve that.

With its sliding glass doors opening onto the enclosed garden, the house seems to flow into the outdoors. Ms. Houtz said that she can now stay home all weekend, “and never get cabin fever.”

“And when you’re facing mortgage payments, staying home makes it pay off.”

water damage repair ny

Home Owners Frustrated with Flood Response

Seven weeks after Tropical Storm Irene, mobile home owners who had to flee the floodwaters say they're frustrated with state and federal response.

They spoke out at a housing forum Wednesday night in Barre.

Despite their frustration, they were cheered by some good news about the cost of disposing of ruined homes.

VPR's Steve Zind reports.

(Zind) Mary Durland came all the way from Brattleboro to speak on behalf of fellow residents of Glen Park, a mobile home park for senior citizens.

Durland told the crowd that 11 of the park's 33 mobile homes were destroyed. Others were damaged. She said the slow pace of clean-up has taken a toll on the park's elderly residents.

(Durland) "It stinks. The air is unbreathable. The first ten days of October; two massive strokes, a heart attack, a nervous breakdown."

(Zind) Durland told legislators and government officials attending the forum that mobile home owners displaced by the flood feel abandoned.

Advocates say the problem is two-fold.

First, a different set of FEMA guidelines for mobile home owners makes the process of applying for and receiving federal assistance more difficult.

Second, many mobile home residents are low income wage earners or retirees living on fixed incomes. Displaced by the flood, they're having a hard time finding housing they can afford.

John Ashford lost his home at Weston Mobile Home Park in Berlin. He and his son have been living in a motel ever since while they search for a place to live. Ashford says his mobile home cost him $700 each month. He's paying more than triple that figure now.

(Asford) "$2,400 a month. FEMA has settled with me. I cannot buy anything and rent is way, way, way too high. So I don't know what we are going to do."

(Zind) The $26,000 Ashford got from FEMA has dwindled to less than half that amount as he uses it to supplement his social security income to cover expenses.

Mobile home park residents did get some good news at Wednesday's meeting. A new program will remove destroyed homes at no charge to the owner. Initially it was estimated owners would have to pay several thousand dollars for the removal.

A number of charitable organizations and businesses donated for this specific purpose.

Shaun Gilpin directs the statewide advocacy group Mobile Home Project, which will administer the program. He says the money raised should be enough to cover the cost of homes still waiting to be taken away.

(Gilpin) "Right now, on the table confirmed is $145,000 and its likely to be more by the end of the week. My estimate, based on what we've heard and the numbers we've looked at is probably still around 100-130 homes that still need to be dealt with."

(Zind) Gilpin says to take advantage of the no cost removal, mobile home owners have to finish the FEMA process - and many are still working through that.

Strip Mall Fire Causes $500,000 in Damage

More than 70 firefighters battled a blaze consuming a strip mall on Sahara Avenue this morning, officials said.

The Clark County Fire Department responded at 4:30 a.m. to the blaze at the Commercial Center District, 953 E. Sahara Ave., county spokesman Dan Kulin said.

They knocked the fire down by 6 a.m., he said. No one was injured.

Investigators estimate the blaze caused more than $500,000 damage to four businesses, but most occurred in a closed business believed to have been a thrift store, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Rainfall Record Burdens Residents with Flooding

A torrential downpour late Tuesday that caused flooding in parts of Lee and Collier counties and broke a rainfall record from 1959 should give way to a dry, sunny remainder of the week, with lows lingering in the 50s.

Officials in the county will continue to keep an eye on the flow of surface water — or sheet flow — from saturated areas, especially in North Fort Myers and Cape Coral, as it makes its way south from Charlotte County.

Tuesday marked the wettest day of the year so far and saw more rainfall than any previous Oct. 18 on record, cracking the 52-year-old record, said WINK meteorologist Scott Zedeker.

“(Today) we’ll deal with some clouds but no real rain,” Zedeker said. “It looks like we’re drying out.”

Downtown Fort Myers was hit hardest, with 6.5 inches of rain on Tuesday, compared with nearly 5 inches in Cape Coral, more than 2 inches in Naples and just under 2 inches in Bonita Springs.

In Bonita, where it typically takes 2-3 days after a hard rain for sheet flow to flood low-lying areas east of Interstate 75, about 1,100 residents were displaced from two mobile home parks in 2008 in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Fay. But for now, “there’s nothing we can do except play the waiting game,” said Debbi Redfield, spokeswoman for the Bonita Springs Fire and Rescue District.

Meanwhile, those affected will continue cleanup efforts.

10/20/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 17 and 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61. West wind between 11 and 16 mph.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48. West wind between 9 and 11 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 64. North wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47. North wind between 3 and 5 mph.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 63.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64.

Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Heavy Rains Have Already Flooded Families on Edge

Central Florida is bracing for another severe storm with no name expected to bring more heavy downpours areawide.

All of Central Florida should expect heavy rain and flooding, with dangerously high surf and beach erosion possible along the coastal counties.

Due to high water levels in the St. Johns River associated with recent rains, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking boaters to stay off populated areas of the river until the waters recede.

Continued southerly winds have kept abundant moisture in place, allowing isolated showers to brush along the coast Tuesday morning. Heading into the afternoon, the low pressure to our west will continue its march toward Florida. This system will be the main focus for periods of heavy rain and gusty winds.

As the low moves toward the Nature Coast, the atmosphere will be ripe for strong to severe storms. Many storms will exhibit rotation, and can spawn a tornado or waterspout without much notice.

The strongest storms will continue into the late evening hours. Overnight, scattered showers and isolated storms remain as the low pressure and its trailing boundary move through the region.

Wednesday morning, scattered showers will move offshore. The first boundary clears the area as the next front moves toward Central Florida during the early afternoon. Once this second boundary clears the area, northwest winds take over, making for a very breezy afternoon.

Brisk, northwest winds will usher in noticeably colder and drier weather for the rest of the week.

Government Plans to Aid Citizens Struggling from Floods

Lt. Governor Jim Cawley today urged landlords and owners of vacant properties to make housing available to residents and families displaced by last month's flooding, particularly in northeastern Pennsylvania.

"If you own apartments, a vacation home or a hunting cabin, especially in the area east of Route 15 and north of Interstate 80, please consider making that housing available for Pennsylvanians in need," said Cawley.

Mobile home communities with homes or lot spaces available can also provide that information through the website or toll free number.

In the weeks since Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, searches on the PA Housing Search website have increased by 40 percent and more than 800 properties have been added.

"We've made good progress helping flood-affected families. But there are still people in need, particularly in the northeastern corner of the state. Helping our neighbors find a place to live is an important step in restoring a sense of normalcy to their lives," said Cawley.

Homes of Flood Victims Not Salvaged

In the weeks following Irene, we've brought FOX23 followers heartwarming stories of people cleaning up and rebuilding. But in some places, rebuilding wasn't an option.

“It’s awful, I feel like I am at a funeral today,” said Pam Young who watched as crews demolished her Prattsville home.

Monday, Young and her family said good bye to nearly seven decades in the home, looking on as bulldozers wreck the walls that surrounded four generations worth of memories.

“I used to play school with my grandparents in the living room,” explained Pam’s daughter, Jessica.

Pam’s mom Joanne Haskin said it was an emotional day. “I cried when the trucks pulled in, never mind when they hit the house,” she said.

Pam, her son, her nephew, and two dogs were stranded on the roof during Irene. They watched as the flood waters raged below them carrying trucks, trailer homes, and debris downstream.

“I was looking for anything that was floating around that we could jump on and stay together that would float,” Pam recalled. “But it wasn't promising.”

Pam’s 9-year-old son Joey says it was one of the scariest times in his life. “I lost all my clothes, my toys, and my bike,” he said. “I was really, really scared.”

Pam and her family are saving the original wood from the home built back in 1947. They plan on using it to create a memorial in honor of her grandparents to mark the spot where their home used to stand.

“I really wanted the beams saved so we can make a cross to put it on their grave so they have a piece of the house with them,” Jessica said crying.

Pam and Joey have been staying with Jessica and living in hotels for the past month and a half.

“I never dreamed in a million years that I would say I am homeless,” Pam said.

She says the weeks have been long and heartbreaking, and Monday's demolition was even tougher.

But for the family, a sad sense of closure today, means a step toward a new tomorrow.

“We're just putting it to rest, we are going to try and pick up the pieces,” Jessica said.

Pam and her family are finding a glimmer of hope during a very dark time – just thankful to be alive.

“It's made me appreciate things more and to be more grateful for what we do have, and that we have each other,” Pam said.

They don't plan on staying or rebuilding in Prattsville, Pam has a bid in on a house in Rotterdam.

Bills Proposed to Aid Flood Victims

Four Luzerne County lawmakers unveiled a package of bills Monday aimed at providing state disaster assistance to individuals and businesses more quickly and opening state aid spigots for disasters that don't qualify for large-scale federal aid.

The House measures would earmark a portion of state surplus money for loan programs to help those missing out on federal aid, earmark another surplus share to help communities minimize future flood damages, allow individuals and families who have been approved for federal aid but are waiting for checks to obtain interest-free "bridge" loans and ease state constitutional restrictions on providing aid to specific geographical areas.

"This four-bill package has really come forward based upon the conversations we have had with our constituents," said Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, referring to the ongoing disaster recovery in Northeastern Pennsylvania from widespread damages during Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene.

Pashinski and Reps. Phyllis Mundy, D-Kingston; Mike Carroll, D-Hughestown; and Gerald Mullery, D-Newport Township, are the bill sponsors.

The bills would:

n Earmark a negotiated portion of an estimated $500 million state budget surplus for a new state fund to provide loans at a 1.5 percent interest rate so business owners and individuals can minimize exposure to a flood. A loan of up to $40,000 could be used to move household utilities to a higher level under the bill. A loan of up to $80,000 could restore a home or business to pre-disaster conditions. If enacted, it could apply to communities like Plymouth Township, which experienced major damage from a flash flood last July, but didn't qualify for federal aid.

A 1.5 percent interest loan is preferable in today's economy to a federal Small Business Administration loan available at 4 percent interest, said Pashinski.

n Earmark another share of the state budget surplus to boost funding for a program that helps local governments reduce the impact of future disasters through such actions as moving buildings from floodplains.

n Enable those already approved for federal assistance to obtain an interest-free bridge loan for 60 days so they can hire contractors more quickly.

"We need a rapid response," said Mundy.

n Amend the state Constitution to specifically allow legislation providing special state aid to a region after a president has declared a disaster.

Meanwhile, Rep. Sandra Major, R-Montrose, is seeking cosponsors for legislation she plans to introduce authorizing the state to borrow up to $250 million to match federal money available for rebuild roads and bridges damaged by Lee and Hurricane Irene.

"My legislation will allow the Commonwealth to meet its 25 percent cost share obligation," said Major in a memo.

The House proposals are taking their place in the legislative hopper next to legislation introduced recently by senators on both sides of the aisle from Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Senate bills would provide state grants to help income-eligible individuals recoup flood losses, authorize $250 million in borrowing for the state share and provide other assistance to school districts and property owners.

10/18/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

This Afternoon: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind around 8 mph.

Tonight: Rain likely, mainly after 5am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 56. East wind between 3 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 66. Breezy, with a east wind between 14 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.

Wednesday Night: Showers, mainly before 11pm. Low around 57. East wind 14 to 18 mph becoming south. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 70. Breezy, with a southwest wind between 18 and 24 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 50.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Fire Causes Damage, Displaces Family

A fire this morning at a Springettsbury Township home -- believed to be caused by faulty electrical wiring -- has displaced a family of seven, according to a fire official.

Firefighters from York Area United Fire & Rescue responded at 8:13 a.m. to the home on Cambridge Road, near Crystal Lane and Erlen Drive, where they found significant fire in the basement, said Chief Robert McCoy.

They knocked the fire down quickly, and there were no injuries, McCoy said.

The fire caused about $25,000 damage to the structure, and about $10,000 damage to its contents, McCoy said.

After an initial examination, McCoy said he believed that the fire was caused by malfunctioning wires in the basement.

Because of damage to the utilities the family -- six adults and one child -- will have to stay elsewhere, he said. The York chapter of the American Red Cross was called to help the family, he said.

Flood Evacuees Still Unable to Return Home

Months after their reserve flooded, hundreds of evacuees from a Manitoba First Nation are still unable to return to their homes and Canada's national chief says living in limbo is taking a toll.

Water is still more than two metres higher than normal in the remote aboriginal community of Lake St. Martin, north of Lake Manitoba. Evacuees from the reserve are still scattered around Winnipeg, staying in hotels. Some students are only now attending school in two church basements while others are enrolled in various schools around the city.

National Chief Shawn Atleo said the longer the evacuees are estranged from their community, the more the First Nation's culture and children are at risk.

“The elders are being disconnected from their way of life,” said Atleo, head of the Assembly of First Nations. “They're finding being in the urban setting is creating some risks for their young people, both the exposure to drugs and alcohol, as well as the criminal element and the gangs.”

The youngest evacuees are the most vulnerable, Atleo added.

“They've missed a lot of school. They're disconnected in different parts of the city. There is no sense of stability and there is a real vulnerability that we'll lose young people to negative forces.”

About 800 people from the lakeside community were evacuated in May. Provincial officials have said the community is virtually a “write-off” after this spring's devastating flood.

Many of the homes are beyond repair and have developed mould issues after years of chronic flooding. Chiefs, the province and Ottawa have been looking into a temporary home closer to the reserve while studying possible sites where the community could relocate permanently

10/17/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Increasing clouds, with a low around 52. West wind between 8 and 16 mph.

Tuesday: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 69. West wind between 6 and 8 mph.

Tuesday Night: Rain likely, mainly after 4am. Increasing clouds, with a low around 57. East wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 66. Breezy, with a east wind between 15 and 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Occasional showers, mainly before 2am. Low around 59. South wind between 11 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 61.

Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy and windy, with a low around 50.

Friday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 61.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Fire causes $5,000 damage at Night Club

A minor fire occurred at Club Marcella late Wednesday causing $5,000 damage to the downtown Main Street nightspot, fire officials said.

Building supplies caught fire inside the club at 622 Main, but by the time firefighters arrived, the blaze had been nearly extinguished by an automatic sprinkler system, the officials said. How the 9:30 p.m. fire started has not yet been determined.

Residents Blame City for flood Damage

Five Bowie residents have filed claims so far for city insurance compensation for flood damage to their houses that they say is the city’s fault.

Two residents on Sadler Lane claim the city failed to clear storm drains before Tropical Storm Lee dumped more than five inches of rain on the city on Sept. 7 and 8, causing what one of them estimated was $30,000 in damage to his house and belongings.

But the city contends there was so much rain that no amount of maintenance would have prevented flooding.

“Our position is that we did the appropriate maintenance of the storm drain system in the area,” said City Manager David Deutsch, who said high winds Sept. 7 and 8 blew garbage bags set out on the street that night, blocking some drains, and that some drains — with or without maintenance — didn’t have the capacity to handle the volume of water.

“There was an unprecedented amount of rain in an extremely short period of time,” he said.

Deutsch said the city nonetheless helped the residents file the claims, which are being reviewed by the Local Government Insurance Trust, a nonprofit based in Hanover, that manages the city’s liability insurance.

10/13/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind between 5 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. High near 72. South wind around 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely before 1am, then a slight chance of showers between 1am and 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. West wind between 15 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 68. Breezy, with a west wind between 20 and 25 mph.

Saturday Night: Clear, with a low around 50. Breezy, with a west wind between 20 and 22 mph.

Sunday: Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 66.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Monday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 66. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 57. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wednesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Thursday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high near 60.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Mold Temporarily Shuts Down Fire Station

York's fire department will be without one of its four stations indefinitely until mold created by the flooding last month can be removed, city Fire Chief Steven Buffington said Tuesday.

The mold, which Buffington discovered during a training session at the Lincoln Station on Roosevelt Avenue last week, has been growing on the walls of the station's basement and creating a potential hazard for the crews that work at Lincoln, Buffington said.

As a result, Lincoln's personnel have been temporarily moved to the department's Rex/Laurel Station on South Duke Street downtown, where there was room to house the engine, Buffington said.

It's a solution for now, but not for any length of time, Buffington said.

The Lincoln Station serves a more-remote part of the city's west end - particularly the industrial park north of Route 30 - and the move leaves that portion of town vulnerable, he said.

"We try to put an engine company within 1.5 miles of every built-upon tract of land in the city," Buffington said. "(The move) obviously skews that. That's one of the first things the mayor and I talked about is we can't allow that to go on long term."

Buffington said he has been discussing options with York Mayor Kim Bracey, including some kind of temporary structure for the engine on the tract of land next to Lincoln Station. Options will have to be run by the city's insurance adjusters, he said.

"Right now, the primary concern is the health and safety of our firefighters," Buffington said. "We don't know that it's a huge risk, but, based on what the first assessment of the environmental company was, their recommendation was that they (firefighters) not work there."

Buffington said he believes the mold is the result of flooding that swept through the building's basement after Tropical Storm Lee in early September. Lincoln Station's platoon spent a full day pumping the water that filled the basement, but the lower level is below grade and remained damp afterward, Buffington said.

No one in the station has complained of any negative health effects as a result of the mold, nor did anyone call the office to complain, Buffington said. But the smell was noticeable last week when Buffington visited the building.

Buffington met with an environmental remediation crew Tuesday afternoon. The next step will be developing a plan to begin to combat the mold as quickly as possible.

No cost estimates have been prepared yet, but Buffington said he expected to pay more than $100,000.

"We're not satisfied to let that go long term," Buffington said. "We'll take whatever steps we need to get engine company coverage on that end of town. It's going to go a very short period of time."

Jackson Garage Fire Causes $35,000 in Damage

Township fire officials continue to investigate a garage fire that caused an estimated $35,000 in damage late Saturday at 224 Oak Drive NW.

A cause has not been determined for the fire, which broke out around 11:45 p.m. Saturday, but it does not appear to be suspicious, according to Battalion Fire Chief Tim Swonger. The blaze was reported by a neighbor.

The fire started in a hallway between the house and garage, Swonger said, but did not spread to the residence. Firefighters evacuated a resident from the house.

“We extinguished it relatively quickly,” Swonger said. “We had to cut a hole in the garage.”

Heat from the fire damaged several items in the garage, including two motorcycles, but most of the damage was the result of smoke, Swonger said.

Blasted Levee Floods Homes

Ruben Bennett lost his home and his country store when the Army Corps of Engineers blasted three holes in levees in May to allow the swollen Mississippi River to surge into the floodway where he lives.

Cinder blocks supporting the store, which he opened in 1956, were damaged by raging water. "Naturally, it ruined everything that I had in there," he says. He stayed for a while with daughters in nearby East Prairie, but he couldn't take city life and now lives in a trailer on his property.

He won't rebuild, says Bennett, who turns 89 next week. It would be too expensive and take "probably more time than I've got left."

Five months after the intentional flood, physical, financial and emotional scars remain here. Most of the 100 or so homes in the 130,000-acre floodway were ruined and sit unoccupied. The Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute estimated farmers' losses at $42.6 million even after crop insurance and disaster payments they received.

Flooding caused by the levee breach was part of damage from heavy rain and melting snow along the Mississippi River and its tributaries this spring and summer. The National Weather Service estimated damage at $2 billion-$4 billion. The Upper Midwest, New England and Northeast also endured flooding this year.

People here question whether it was really necessary to blow the levees and wonder why their homes and livelihoods were sacrificed for larger river communities, including Cairo, Ill., population 3,000.

The Army Corps is the target of anger and frustration, in part because the broken sections of levee are being rebuilt, for now, to 51 feet instead of the original height of 62.5 feet. If the river rises next spring, people say, they will be flooded again.

10/12/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Rain, mainly after 9pm. Patchy fog after midnight. Low around 57. East wind between 9 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Showers, mainly before 8am. Patchy fog before 9am. High near 70. Southeast wind around 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a low around 62. South wind between 8 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: Showers likely, mainly before 3pm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind between 9 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, with a low around 56. Southwest wind between 8 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy and breezy, with a low around 53.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.

Tuesday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 56. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Library Cafe Reopens After Sewage Damage

For the entire first month of this school year, Whitman students working into the late hours of the night at Penrose Library have had to go without the treats normally provided by the library café. On Monday, Sept. 26, the café reopened, and that period of hunger and strife finally came to an end, giving many tired library-goers one more reason to procrastinate.

The café was closed due to a complication with a broken sewage pipe. According to Roger Edens, general manager of Bon Appétit, the construction workers excavating Memorial Hall struck a sewage pipeline, causing water to soak into all porous substances.

Needless to say, there were sanitary and structural complications.

Edens remarked on the recent opening of the café via email: “The room has since been cleaned and sanitized and the cabinets have been rebuilt and replaced.”

This is wonderful news for weary students in need of sustenance to help them power through a rough night of homework.

Warehouse Fire Causes Roughly $1 Million in Damage

Even as losses continue to mount, a promise to workers at a burned warehouse.

Smoke still hovers tonight around the 3G plant in Mountain Grove. Fire still burns at the warehouse fire crews fought for about ten hours there.

Filled with cardboard and other products, the warehouse had little chance once sparked. With the flames flaring --- it didn't stop one man from trying to put out the fire and eventually suggest it was intentionally set.

Being the first one to feel the flames inside Grisham Farm Products

Dustin Walker, who found the fire, says, "About halfway through, we could see the glow."

Walker, who not only works here but is a fire chief in Northern Wright County, did as he was trained.

"We went and got the fire extinguishers and we went back in there and there wasn't anything we could do for it," he says.

What started small ended up devouring a warehouse.

Fire crews and the owners were left on damage control.

Business co-owner Rick Grisham says, "I guess what really got me was when they opened the walls up and the flames wrapped around the cabin of the loader.




Early estimates suggest these flames have burned through anywhere from $600,000 to $1 million. Somehow throughout all of this, the owners have been able to absorb the loss with a smile.

"When you see what's saved, I can do that," Grisham says.

His business is really two in one. Because of quick thinking, he was able to keep the fire from spreading to his feed processing plant. It holds millions of dollars worth of equipment and will now be home to all of Grisham's workers.

"It makes me feel good they're going to take care of us," Walker says.

Walker will spend the next few days to not only give thanks but also reflect.

He says, "There is no power on this side of the wall. It started right back there at the second window. It just look suspicious to me."

Mountain Grove Fire Chief Mark Bushong says he found nothing suspicious in nature.

He says the fire marshal's expected to go over the damage on Tuesday. Bushong says these types of investigations can take months or years to determine exactly what started the fire.

The warehouse will have to be rebuilt. The owner says he'll likely have to replace the wiring in the processing plant. That could take anywhere from one to two weeks.

Rain Takes Over Property

A Fort pierce family got water front property this weekend as acres of land became filled with rain-water from the storms that battered the Treasure Coast.

The Wilders family was forced to bail water from the comfort of their living room, as the rain took over their property.

"When we seen [the water] rising, we got on the phone and tried to call people to help us and nobody wanted to help us," said Richard Wilder.

Most of their front yard, and even their living room, was left under three inches of water or more.

"Oh I stayed up till about three o'clock in the morning, bailing water out of it all night, cause it kept flooding in there," Richard said. "I finally just got tired of pumping the water out of it."

The flood-water ruined thousands of dollars worth of renovations and possessions.

"A lot of furniture, guns, gun-safes, everything," said Richard.
Purchased back in 2009, the Wilder's home was a steal. The previous owner sold out, after Tropical Storm Faye thundered through.

Since then, Richard has made numerous attempts to forestall another flood, but he says neither the county, the city, nor the South Florida Water management district have stepped up and admitted there is a problem.

"I have walked back there...and looked at the ditches," Richard said. "The ditches are all growed up and nobody wants to clean them."

Back in June, St. Lucie County and the Water Management District held a meeting less than five miles from the Wilder's home to deal with the precise problem the Wilders now face.

Richard is less than pleased with the results, and says any action taken to fix the problem will be too little, too late.

"I ain't got the money to replace the house now," he said. "All my stuff is in the living room. What am I going to do with it? It's gone."

With more rain on the way, the Wilders are packing up and leaving home for the night. They only hope that they'll have a home to return to once the waters recede.

flood damage long island

10/10/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. North wind between 5 and 9 mph.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 69. East wind around 13 mph.

Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. East wind between 11 and 13 mph.

Wednesday: Rain likely, mainly after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 63. East wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Rain. Low around 58. East wind between 10 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday: Rain likely, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Friday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 69. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 66.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Raw Sewage Caused More Damage Than Initially Thought

San Diego Coast Keeper, a watchdog organization for water quality at our beaches and bays, is following up on the damage caused by a sewage spill caused by last week’s massive power outage.

The group examined the Penasquitos Lagoon and Creek, the area that was inundated with nearly two million gallons of raw sewage that spilled when pump stations lost power.

While there Coast Keeper says they’ve found at least a dozen dead fish and other elements still present in the water one week after the spill.

"The levels of sewage in this creek are comparable to what's coming out of the Tijuana river and over the border during the winter rainy season. This is the worst I've seen in San Diego that does not include winter Tijuana River,” said Coast Keeper’s Travis Pritchard who added the organization also found extremely high levels of fecal matter, ammonia and phosphorous as a result of the sewage.

Mold Closes Elementary School

Although the building has been closed for three years, the West Aurora School District is faced with the problem of eliminating mold at Lincoln Elementary School.

District employees recently discovered an infestation of mold in the basement of the building. There are no immediate plans for using the building, but administrators want to keep it in potentially usable condition, which means remediating the mold.

“At this point we’re going to want to keep it as an open option,” Superintendent James Rydland said Monday.

The item will be on the School Board agenda again in two weeks, for the Oct. 17 meeting. Administrators recommended accepting a $42,000 bid to have the mold removed.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Pete Kerl said that he asked the contractor what would happen if they did nothing to remove the mold.

“The answer was that you would see it spread throughout the school,” Kerl said.

Board member Mark Bradford said that he wanted to see more of a conversation about planning take place before the district advances with the issue. If they end up with no other recourse than to demolish the building in a few years, Bradford said he did not want to see money spent on these types of repairs.

“Are we going to throw $42,000 at this and the building stays vacant?” Bradford said.

Rydland said he does not want to be in a position where they need to use the building because of high attendance at other schools, and cannot because of the mold problem. Administrators recently made the difficult decision to put a roof on Nancy Hill School, another old building, for similar reasons.

Universal Asbestos Removal won the bid for the mold removal project. Universal will essentially be removing all moisture from the moldy areas. There was no running water in the affected area, but moisture was seeping through the walls.

The south Lake Street school building was closed three years ago, and students were sent to other schools in order to reduce the district’s operating budget. Closing the school has saved the district more than $900,000 in operating costs. Administrators want to account for a possible future need, or sale of the building, however.

“It may be tantamount to if you want to sell your house,” board member Allyson Herget said. “We’re going to want to make it all spiffy.”

Rydland said he wants to take care of the building whether the district is using it or not, so that it does not go into a state of disrepair.

Overnight Fire Causes Millions in Damage

An overnight fire caused millions of dollars in damage to downtown Iowa City last month.

Iowa City Fire Marshal John Grier said he isn’t ready to give an exact amount, but estimated the total destruction to be greater than anything he’s seen in his four years as fire marshal.

“A lot of properties have damage,” Grier said. “So right now safety is the big key.”

Grier said the cause of the blaze wont be determined this week. “If we can get the debris removed that will give us some more information,” he said.

The fire broke out late last month, after a tenant living in an apartment above Bruegger’s Bagels reported smelling smoke. Crews battled the blaze for more than five hours before it was contained. A handful of businesses and apartments in the 200 block of Iowa Avenue took on serious fire, smoke and water damage.

Carolyn Wine, who lives in a building near where the fire broke out, said she can still smell smoke inside her apartment. “There’s just a faint smell of smoke,” Wine said. “I think there was some water damage in the building, but I was really lucky.”

Grier said investigators were joined by at least one attorney and some insurance agents on Tuesday.

Flooding Leaves Residents Homeless

Al Melnick built his home along the bend in the Susquehanna River, where the water pools and bald eagles nest.

Great blue herons glide gracefully above the water.

Houses owned by people seeking relaxation line the dirt road next to the river.

But life on Myo Beach Road in Wyoming County is now exhausting and exasperating - the exact opposite of what attracted people to this small community just south of Route 6.

Almost four weeks ago, the river rose higher than any resident expected. Homes, some lived in year-round, others used as weekend getaways, were ripped off their stilt foundations and left twisted in the trees downstream.

Water has been high on this road before - but never this high.

Beyond the doors wrapped around trees and the propane tanks still caught in their branches, the river left people who remain uncertain of their futures.

Nine lives

Tish Saxon thought she lost her six cats in the flood. One cat, named Mary Snidely, was stuck between two boards in a tree high above the water. Ms. Saxon could hear her meowing for three days before the water was low enough to rescue her.

But Ms. Saxon's favorite cat, Puddum, was nowhere to be found. That was until Wednesday. Three weeks after the flood, Puddum suddenly appeared as the family sat around a bonfire next to their home's old foundation. Thirty minutes later, Cutie Pie, another of Ms. Saxon's cats, appeared as well.

Cutie Pie now will not leave the family's destroyed home, about 150 yards down the road from where it once stood. Ms. Saxon and her 13-year-old son are still waiting to learn how much money they will get from their insurance company to make any decisions about their future.

On Monday, Puddum followed Ms. Saxon as she walked to what was left of the home she moved into almost a decade ago.

"She's a great cat," Ms. Saxon said, picking her up and giving her a kiss.

Cutie Pie peeked out from a side door, quickly ducking back in as the visitors approached. Three kittens are still missing.

Need for heat

Down the muddy road lined with walnut trees that are shedding their shells, Al Melnick, 67, was chopping a tree that the flood had uprooted. He needed something to heat his gutted home that he is trying to repair.

With temperatures barely breaking 50 degrees on Monday, Mr. Melnick fears the winter ahead.

The trees he chopped were next to where his sister-in-law's house once stood. Her home was washed away by the river. His home was built in 1980 to withstand a flood like Hurricane Agnes, which devastated the region in 1972. Last month, 4 feet of water made it to his first floor.

He is staying in his RV at the Kiwanis Wyoming County Fairgrounds and hopes to have a bathroom and a room to sleep in before winter.

"You never get used to it," he said. "You just learn to cope."

Services volunteered

Electrician Wayne Thompson stopped at one home down the street, where the water was 18 feet from the bottom of its stilts at the height of the flood.

Mr. Thompson had been volunteering his labor to replace water-logged electrical systems, with homeowners just paying for parts. He has reconnected power at seven homes already.

"To come and see the devastation, a bomb has went off," Mr. Thompson said.

Tree trunks still standing bear scars from collisions with homes. Piles of debris - curtains, mattresses, broken mirrors - stretch along the puddle-covered road.

Nowhere to rent

About 10 homes are occupied year-around on Myo Beach Road, and many more are used as summer getaways.

Laura Vargo and her husband live in their home through the winter. For now, they are living in a motorhome in their driveway, along with their Schnauzer and Jack Russell Terrier.

With the home gutted, they will live in the driveway until the snow starts falling.

"Then we don't know what we're going to do," she said.

She tried to find an apartment to rent, but with the influx of natural gas drilling workers, monthly rent has gone from $600 to $1,200 in the area. And many do not accept pets, she said.

"How do you afford rent and pay the mortgage for a home you're not living in?" she asked.

Cause of stress

Ray Jacek used to call his fishing cabin a "survivor." The perfect place for a campfire and enjoying a "cold one," it withstood flooding from Agnes. Yearly flooding from spring thaws never required more than a good power washing at the bottom of the building's stilts.

Last month, water was half way up the shingles. Adjusters from his insurance company inspected the property Monday afternoon. Mr. Jacek, whose home is in Avoca, used to escape a more stressful life in the valley by fishing for smallmouth bass and walleye with family and friends.

Now, the cabin, right along the riverbanks, is the cause of his stress.

"It's usually beautiful," Mr. Jacek said. "Now it's like a war zone."

10/4/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

This Afternoon: A chance of showers, mainly after 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63. Northwest wind between 11 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tonight: A chance of showers, mainly before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. North wind between 8 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 70. North wind between 10 and 16 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind between 14 and 18 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 65. North wind between 11 and 13 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 74.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Columbus Day: Sunny, with a high near 73.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Mold Forces Family With Disabled Toddler from Home

"It was an ongoing leak," said Izaiah's father, Jacob. "We didn't know how long it was going on for."

Jacob said his son, who is 2 years old, kept getting sick for unexplained reasons.

"At first he had pneumonia. Then, he got better. Then, he got sick again," said Jacob.

The family then noticed a piece of wall lying on the floor.

"A plumber came by," said Jacob. "He opened up the wall. You could just see mold growing in there. It was pretty crazy… As soon as we found out, we had to get Izaiah out of the house."

In the past week, Izaiah has moved from their home in Vista, to a hotel and now to his grandfather's home in Oceanside after the family discovered the health hazard lurking in their wall.

Jacob quickly became concerned and educated about what was going on.

"[The mold] causes asthma, bad headaches [and] lung infections… just all kinds of things that go along with it," he said. "It's pretty toxic."

The mold is toxic especially for Izaiah, who has already gone through so much.

It was almost one year ago when Izaiah and his grandfather were run down by a teenage drunk driver while they were out on a morning walk.

Izaiah was left partially-blind, suffered brain damaged and was paralyzed from the chest down.

Now, Jacob said his son is already improving since they moved out of the home.

Izaiah is now on antibiotics and takes frequent naps.

Jacob said he is unsure if they will ever move back to their rented Vista home.

Fire Damage Estimated at $100,000

Police join the investigation into Sunday night's house fire near downtown Eau Claire.

An Eau Claire fire inspector was back at the scene Monday, looking over the burned out remains of the house on 2nd Avenue. Arson is suspected, because the house had been vacant for many years, and did not have gas or electricity. Fire officials say the fire started in the back of the house, on the first floor.

Police have already been getting calls and are conducting interviews.

Damage is estimated at $100,000.

Mobile Homes Hit Hard by Irene Floods

After paying rent for her entire adult life, buying a mobile home was a dream come true for Sandra Gaffney. But 11 months later, that dream was destroyed by floodwaters when the remnants of Hurricane Irene ripped through her mobile home park, flooding her trailer and about 70 others.

Gaffney, 64, had gotten out in time, fleeing to her sister’s home in neighboring Montpelier, unlike her neighbors at Weston’s Mobile Home Park, who had to be rescued by boats and high-water vehicles.

The retired paraeducator learned of the devastation when she saw a photo of her trailer on a local radio station’s Facebook page.

"I saw my trailer with water all the way up to the windows," she said. "And then I totally sobbed."

Thirteen mobile home parks in Vermont were flooded when the Aug. 28 storm hit, turning streams and rivers into raging waterways that carried away bridges and large segments of roads and damaged or destroyed 840 homes. That includes at least 141 mobile homes that were destroyed and 220 that were flooded, some so severely they may be declared total losses.

In Williamstown, Mass., near the Vermont state line, floodwaters entered more than 200 mobile homes in one mobile home park on the Hoosick River. Five weeks later, only 25 homes have been repaired and made habitable.expensive to come by," said Town Manager Peter Fohlin.

"More units are going to be very hard and very

Now those homeowners -- many of them with no flood insurance -- must pay to remove the destroyed trailers and some are waiting for Federal Emergency Management Agency help. Others have no long-term option for housing with winter just a few months away.

"My impression from talking to people is that a lot them still don’t know what they’re going to do," said Sarah Weintraub, an organizer with the Vermont Workers’ Center, a group that works for social and economic justice in Vermont.

"We are concerned that a lot of people are doubling up with neighbors, staying with family, some may even be staying in campers," said Jennifer Hollar, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic, Housing and Community Development.

10/3/11 Lindenhurst Weather Forecast

Tonight: Showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Cloudy, with a low around 48. North wind between 3 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 63. Northwest wind between 8 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 55. North wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 69. Breezy, with a north wind between 15 and 20 mph.

Wednesday Night: Clear, with a low around 49. North wind between 13 and 18 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 64.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 71.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 74.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Columbus Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73.