Residents hoping to return to flooded apartments face a long wait
Monday, January 12, 2009 11:41 PM PST
By Erik Olson
Printable version
E-mail this articleWorkers are rebuilding the flood-ravaged Villa San Martin apartments in Kelso, as the city is trying determine if it could protect the low-income housing complex from future flooding.
The Archdiocesan Housing Authority, which manages the complex, hired a 75-person crew from Portland-based Belfor Construction to assess the damage and begin restoration, said Kay Lagreid, spokeswoman for the Seattle-based Catholic group.
The church had hoped to reopen the complex this month but the target date has been downgraded to “as soon as possible,” Lagreid said in an e-mail. The cost of the damage has not been determined, she said.
Residents in 10 of the 25 units at the complex were forced from their homes Wednesday by the flooding Coweeman River. City and county officials didn’t realize the area would flood until it was too late, and thousands of dollars of property was damaged.
This week, Kelso city officials are planning to examine the area near the intersection of Allen Street and Corduroy Road to see what, if anything, can be done to protect the area from another flood, said Mike Kerins, the city’s community development director.
The apartments, built in 2006, have never flooded before and are not located within the city’s 100-year floodplain, he said.
“This was unexpected,” Kerins said.
The apartment complex is in a low-lying area along Allen Street, across the street from the Coweeman River dike. The area may need additional drainage to allow the water to escape, but Kerins said he’s not certain that will solve the problem.
“I’m not even sure if it can be resolved,” Kerins said.
The Crawford House, an assisted-living facility in the same area, was also surprised by the rapid flooding, and elderly residents had to be quickly evacuated Wednesday, Kerins said.
Repairing a flood-damaged residence requires eradicating the mold and mildew that has accumulated in the walls and floor, which can take weeks with a small crew, said Matthew Hearn, project manager for the Longview-based contractor American Restoration Kompany.
Contractors typically must replace walls two feet above the water line, which would be as high as six feet in Villa San Martin apartments, Hearn said.
“Everything in there has to come out,” he said.
Representatives from Belfor Construction could not be reached Monday.
For now, displaced residents are making do with other arrangements. The church is housing some of the residents in a motel for now, and others are staying with friends and family.
Anna Maria Sosa-Bravo, her husband, Juan Flores, and their three children are staying together in one room of the West Longview home of friend Angelita Linares and her husband.
They have little choice but to wait for the apartments to reopen, Linares said. Flores was recently laid off, and the family has little income, she said.
“There’s not a whole lot they can do at this point. They’re pretty much stranded here for the time being,” Linares said.
The aftermath of the flood has brought out the best of people amidst the destruction, Linares said. The Kelso School District and Head Start have made sure students can make it to class, and clothing and food donations have already come pouring in, she said.
“It’s just incredible how the community has come together,” Linares said.
Catholic parishes in Cowlitz County have begun soliciting donations to help residents get back on their feet when they return to their homes, said Tina McCully, program coordinator for the Longview branch of Catholic Community Services.
Furniture, bedding, pots and pans and cleaning supplies are among the most desired items, she said.
“Our biggest effort, at the moment, is to fix it so they have things when they go back to their homes,” McCully said.
Related article:
Flooding at Kelso apartment complex catches everyone, including county, by surprise (Jan. 8)
SpeedyG wrote on Jan 13, 2009 5:37 AM:
lola*in*longview wrote on Jan 13, 2009 5:37 AM:
who am I? wrote on Jan 13, 2009 8:00 AM:
dogshead wrote on Jan 13, 2009 10:01 AM:
SpeedyG wrote on Jan 13, 2009 10:26 AM:
I wish more people would have more compassion as a general rule- instead of judging and condemning- "Dogshead".
God bless you anyway.... "
Im_not_saying wrote on Jan 13, 2009 5:00 PM:
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