Riverfront homes being lifted out of flood plain

The Associated Press

MOSCOW, Ohio - More than two dozen houses have been lifted out of the flood plain and put on new foundations along the Ohio River southeast of Cincinnati, in towns including Moscow, Point Pleasant and New Richmond.

Sandy Richards' home was one of the first in Moscow to be lifted. It sits on a block foundation 23 steps above ground level. If the Ohio River rises again as it did in March 1997, she will be evacuated, but her home will be high and dry.

"We're trying to save our village, but at the same time prevent future damage," said Richards, who was mayor of Moscow during the flood four years ago. "Some of these homes have been here for a long time, and we want to preserve as many of them as possible."

In the 1997 flood, the river rose 21 feet in 29 hours and crested at a 33-year high of 64.7 feet. Flood stage is 52 feet. Five people in Ohio and 10 people in northern Kentucky died. Property damage in the area was estimated at $430 million.

It costs about $50,000 to elevate a home - a price that in some cases is more than the home's market value - but many people place their home's worth above any amount. Richards said six homes in Moscow were finished in the fall and six more are "up in the air right now."

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has worked with state and local agencies on flood mitigation programs. Such programs range from engineering work on dams, bridges and culverts to measures as simple as keeping rivers and streams free of debris, said Linda Sacia, a spokeswoman for FEMA Region 5, which includes Ohio and Indiana.

She said that when elevation and engineering fail, offering property owners fair market value for their flood-threatened land is a last resort. Those who agree to such an offer sell the property to the community, and the homes are either moved or destroyed.

"The best solution can be to buy people out and get them out of harm's way," Sacia said. "Sometimes that's the only way to protect them from future losses."