FLOOD INFO: FROM AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN NOV 5 2013 City officials apologized to hundreds of Onion Creek flood victims at a town hall meeting Tuesday night for what they called their shortcomings after last week’s storms that have cost the city and county nearly $2 million so far. About 500 residents packed the cafeteria of nearby Perez Elementary School in Southeast Austin, criticizing the city for not buying out homes in their neighborhoods before the latest flood, the delay in law enforcement response to residents trapped in the flood and not notifying residents in a timely manner. Officials acknowledged and apologized for their faults while explaining their initial response to the flood, their attempts to obtain federal disaster recovery aid for victims and social services available to them. Deputy City Manager Michael McDonald said that the quick rise of Onion Creek was unexpected after a sensor in one of the main arteries of the creek was rendered inoperable. “The creek rose 11 feet in 15 minutes. The force knocked out the sensors,” he said. “We certainly are sorry for the set of circumstances but we’re going to certainly do everything we can to work through it.” Police Chief Art Acevedo said that 911 calls during the flooding overwhelmed law enforcement and that the police helicopter couldn’t get to the neighborhoods promptly because of flooded streets. “We relied too much on technology and gauges that were not working properly instead of relying on you,” Acevedo said. “We have had some lessons learned. We can do better.” Malerie Alvarado, 27, said she called 911 about 6:30 a.m. Thursday while she was in water up to her waist. The call-taker told her to head north where there wasn’t any flooding, but all Alvarado found was water. She said that law enforcement officials were not prepared for the event. “I must have called 50 times after that and then there were no answer,” she said. Meanwhile on Tuesday, local officials were starting to quantify how much the flood will cost the city of Austin and Travis County. According to a report sent to the governor’s office, preliminary estimates show damage from the flooding to city and county roads, parks and other public facilities total $1.75 million. Preliminary estimates in Hays County place damage to roads and infrastructure at more than $500,000. As much as 12 inches fell in various parts of Travis County as storms rolled through the area, causing flooding that killed at least five people in Central Texas, three of them in Austin. • “I think it goes without saying that the storm … was more devastating than any of us actually anticipated,” said Austin City Manager Marc Ott. “We’re here with great sadness at the loss of life and the tremendous impact on your properties.” The City Council will decide at Thursday’s meeting whether to waive permitting and development fees for flood-damaged homes, Mayor Lee Leffingwell said. The city has also identified 24 homes in the Onion Creek area that qualify for an emergency buyout program and expect to add more, officials said. Residents with question about buyouts can call 512-974-2843. On Tuesday morning, city officials and workers came out in force to the most-damaged neighborhoods. During a visit, Acevedo rejected reports of looting and widespread theft in the areas around Onion Creek, saying only two burglaries have been reported for the 1,100 homes affected by flooding. Officers have kept a strong presence in the area to curb crime, he said. “In this instance, we have been here 24/7,” Acevedo said. “We will be here throughout.” Police increased their presence in the affected areas and are stopping vehicles at checkpoints, officials said, allowing only residents and volunteers to enter. Acevedo encouraged anyone hoping to help displaced residents to call 311 to offer spare or rental rooms. Sixty displaced residents stayed at the shelter Monday night at the Dove Springs Recreation Center, he said. Nearby Perez Elementary school reopened Monday after being closed Thursday and Friday because of a power outage and no road access to the school. Students at Zilker Elementary in South Austin raised $1,900 in gift cards and four trucks full of donations for families at Perez and others. According to the report sent by the city and county to the governor, the largest chunk of damage is $550,000 to Richard Moya Park, which was under water Thursday after nearby Onion Creek flooded. A bridge over Onion Creek on River Plantation Drive, which is still closed, was destroyed and repairs are estimated to cost $400,000. The county’s sheriff’s office lost three patrol cars in the flood at a cost of $100,000, according to the report. Additionally, 49 homes — 26 houses and 23 trailers — were destroyed and 658 — 636 houses, 20 trailers and two multi-family units — sustained major damage. Those numbers, particularly the cost of damage from the flood, are likely to increase over the next month, said Pete Baldwin, the county’s emergency management coordinator. At an event Tuesday hosted by Hays County officials, nonprofit and governmental agencies were on hand to help residents navigate their options. More than 100 homes were significantly damaged, said Kharley Smith, Hays County emergency management coordinator. The goal of the event was to help those without flood insurance patch together help from a network of local, state and federal agencies, as well as nonprofit groups.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 15:35:16 +0000
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