Coffeyville Kansas Flood Waters, Residents Gone

[Robbien]

Source: KOTV

Thursday marks two months since the Verdigris River flooded Coffeyville, Kansas. The town is still cleaning up and city officials say they have a lot of work ahead of them. The News On 6’s Chris Wright reports on the progress the town’s made in two months.

"It's like it's haunted down in that area. There's no one there, it's like you're driving into a town and there's no one there," Coffeyville resident Norma Kerns said. The floodwaters stopped just short of Norma Kerns home two months ago. An East Coffeyville resident for more than 20 years, she and her dogs will continue to live here. But almost all of her neighbors, their homes in ruins, have left.

. . .

The floodwaters, filled with thousands of gallons of spilled crude oil, displaced about 2,000 residents. Some have left town, others are still living with friends and relatives here. The Refinery responsible for that spill is up and running, but there’s no word when residents will be awarded temporary housing.

The residents eligible for temporary housing are still waiting for their FEMA trailers. They're about 50 of them here in town, but they're all sitting on the tarmac at Coffeyville airport. City Clerk Cindy Price says the town is waiting for FEMA to deliver about 100 more mobile homes, then city officials will have to figure out where to put them.



Of course, the mobile homes are only a temporary solution. The flood-ravaged neighborhoods won't be coming back. The city says new homes will not likely be built in place of the ruined ones, so whether or not flood victims will be able to once again call Coffeyville home remains to be seen.



Read more: http://www.kotv.com/news/topstory/?id=135049

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With so little reporting by MSM of disaster damages, I wonder how many other towns are out there across America are in the same or similar situation.

[merh]

1. Mobile Homes?

Are those the Katrina rejects, will those folks have breathing issues too?

[AndyA]

2. I know someone who works for the State of Oklahoma in environmental areas.

And they said that refinery that dumped all that oil has a long history of issues. No doubt owned by Republicans, and very likely good buds with Senator "there ain't no such thing as global warming" Inhofe. :eyes:

[dbackjon]

3. Terrible, Avoidable Tragedy

I feel bad for those that lost their houses, but why do we insist on living in flood plains.

Kudos to Coffeyville for not allowing them to rebuild in the floodplain. IMHO, no federal money should ever go to rebuild in same location, but to relocate only. This applies to coastal areas as well. The shore and floodplains are NOT MEANT to be lived in.

[Robbien]

4. Flooding was not the major problem. The oil spill was the problem

The refinery was ordered to pay for all the damaged homes. Most of the homes cannot be repaired because of the oil spill contamination.

Edit: Note that that refinery is still open and operating on that self same so called flood plain.

[dbackjon]

5. They are still in the flood plain - water brought the oil.

And yes, the refinery should be moved as well.