This article was written 草莓传媒鈥檚 news partner and republished with permission.
Over 1,000 residents have reported damage to their homes, and several tons of debris was collected after last week’s that caused widespread flooding in Arlington, Virginia.
The deadline for residents to report initial damages to their homes was Friday. On Monday, officials told ARLnow that a total of 1,029 people filed post-storm damage claims.
The damage reports describe a range of problem from minor (clogged drains) to major (completely flooded basements), said Hannah Winant, a spokeswoman with Arlington鈥檚 Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management department.
Winant said the reports will help Arlington County鈥檚 recovery and flood mitigation efforts.
鈥淔irst, reports help us determine what neighborhoods have been impacted by weather. For example, we may learn if someone needs a safety inspection after electricity loss,鈥� she said.
鈥淪econd, damage reports help us better convey our needs to the state when requesting potential resources to assist with recovery efforts,” Winant added. “The more clearly we can articulate how many people have been impacted鈥� the better we can advocate for our community and potentially collaborate with state and federal partners to help.鈥�
As for the destruction to public property, such as pedestrian bridges and public parks, Winant said the county is current estimating about $4.1 million in damages 鈥� up from last week of $3.5 million.
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The department鈥檚 director clarified during Saturday鈥檚 Arlington County Board meeting that these reports are used for the county鈥檚 state and federal aid applications, and that affected residents will have another change to summit damage claims later.
Crews hauled away 60 tons of debris 鈥� from rolled up carpets to soggy books to water-damaged furniture 鈥� during special collections from Wednesday to Saturday, according to Department of Environmental Services spokeswoman Katie O鈥橞rien. That doesn鈥檛 include聽the ruined parts of people鈥檚 homes that dotted curbs around Arlington, waiting to be collected on regular trash pick-up days.
O鈥橞rien said that county crews are scheduled to continue helping residents affected by the floods clear debris this week. The department for a contractor who cited some flood-stricken residents 鈥渇or improper trash preparation.鈥�
Solid Waste Bureau special collection trucks have picked up 60 tons of debris from last week’s storm on top of refuse removed during regular weekly contractor rounds. The County continues to monitor and provide special service for hard hit neighborhoods.
鈥� Arlington Department of Environmental Services (@ArlingtonDES)
惭补苍测听, shops,聽聽and pieces of聽 were damaged by last Monday鈥檚聽 鈥� leading County Manager Mark Schwartz to 聽in a bid for state or federal aid two days later.
鈥淥ur community experienced a rain event on Monday the likes of which no one who lives in Arlington, or who has lived in Arlington, has ever seen,鈥� said County Board Chair Christian Dorsey at the board鈥檚 weekend meeting, during which members unanimously voted to finalize the declaration. 鈥淭he violent storm that turned the daytime sky as dark as night in a matter in minutes.鈥�
Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management Director Aaron Miller told the board that the county met the $3 million minimum damage threshold needed to qualify for state aid, and that the Small Business Administration (SBA) is sending inspectors to Arlington this week to verify the damage reports. The SBA could offer grants or low-interest loans for residents to rebuild.
Miller said additional aid hinges on a tangle of bureaucratic red tape among FEMA and larger emergency declarations that can only happen at the federal level when certain damage thresholds are met.
Dorsey added that he hoped that Virginia or the federal government will be able to give 鈥渟ome sort of help鈥� but that the majority of costs are likely to fall on homeowners and business owners.
Several members of the public urged the board to re-examine its storm water management system in .
Board member Erik Gutshall proposed that the county start thinking about for more resilient buildings and infrastructure.
Dorsey praised county staff for their work over the past week but noted that, 鈥渨e do have to up our game鈥� in face of future potential impacts from climate change.
鈥淚t is quite frankly a blessed miracle that no one was killed or even seriously injured with the events of this past Monday and for that we are profoundly grateful,鈥� Dorsey said.
