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River drops; checking starts
By JOY DAVIS-PLATT, Times Staff Writer
RIDGE MANOR -- With flood warnings lifted for the Withlacoochee River, county officials are beginning the process of sifting through the damage. "Basically, what we're doing is going out and assessing damage to properties," said acting Emergency Management Department director Danny Roberts. "Bridges, lift stations, culverts, houses, anything that could have been affected by the standing waters." Waters receded below the 12-foot flood stage on Sunday. The next day, Roberts said, teams of county employees and volunteers began the chore of logging and classifying damage. "It's still early," Roberts said after a day of sloshing around the water-logged homes in eastern Hernando County. "It'll take three days to get the big picture." Typically, when the river rises above 12 feet, neighborhoods such as Talisman Estates and Riverdale start to flood. On Monday, the National Weather Service in Ruskin reported the Withlacoochee at Trilby was at 11.36 feet. Rain is not expected until Thursday night when widely scattered showers might appear. An accurate record of damage is important, Roberts said, if the county is to request emergency funds from the state or government. "There is criteria for how to proceed with any type of mitigation funds," he said. "There may be an opportunity for some assistance there, and we don't want to miss it."
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From today's Hernando Times |
