Published: September 16, 2008 12:00 pm      

Floyd County remains under state of emergency

Floyd County will remain under a state of emergency through today and possibly longer according to Emergency Management Agency Director Terry Herthel.

“Right now, our biggest concern is getting the roads open,” Herthel said, adding they are waiting on electric crews to clear lines on some of the streets that are closed.

Herthel advises residents to avoid cutting electric lines out of fallen limbs and trees, as the downed lines could regain power with crews working on them.

“(The lines) have been dead for sometime and that might give people a false sense of security,” he said.

Herthel also warns that people should leave generators outside when using them to power their homes due to risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

He said generators should not be plugged into an electrical system due to the risk of electrocuting workers trying to get power restored.

Herthel is also asking that all residents conserve water, as the lack of electricity has left many water companies unable to use their pumps.

The county has experienced widespread damage, according to Herthel, with roads closed and electric lines damaged throughout the area.

Emergency officials are meeting this morning to determine what action will be taken next, as he anticipates damage assessment and clean up could take several days.

Herthel said they are waiting to hear if President George Bush will give federal aid to Floyd County.



City problems

City-owned property was not immune to the winds left over from what was Hurricane Ike, which whipped through New Albany Sunday.

There is extensive damage to the city’s riverfront ampitheatre and the roof was torn off the recently-purchased Baptist Tabernacle building, located at 318 E. Fourth St.

“Both events are unfortunate setbacks to our plans to improve the cultural assets of our community,” stated Deputy Mayor and Director of Development Carl Malysz in an e-mail Monday.

Remnants of the large yellow canopy once mounted at the ampitheatre was strewn across the flood wall. Several trees were blown down across the Riverfront Park but Malysz anticipates the ampitheatre and Baptist Tabernacle will recover.

“We consider (the setbacks) temporary. We will just have to dig in and overcome them,” Malysz said.

The city purchased the church in March for $98,000. It could become the next city hall or a museum for antique fire equipment, with officials still mulling over possible uses for the building.



Volunteers appreciated

New Albany Mayor Doug England is asking volunteers to focus on their own neighborhoods as residents have begun cleaning up their property.

“The mayor’s office has been contacted by several interested citizens who would like to volunteer their assistance in cleaning up the storm damage strewn about the city, “ Malysz said.

Storm debris — limbs, branches, leaves and wood — should be placed at the homeowner’s curbside or five feet back from roads without curbs, according to Malysz.

A temporary storage site for anyone wanting to haul yard waste has been opened at the old Farmers Market along Scribner Drive, between West Elm and West Oak streets.

Just like curbside removal, Malysz said the temporary site is only for yard waste.

England cautions volunteers to emphasize “safety first” when sifting through debris.

Brad Kessans, utilities director for the city, is asking that residents contact him if they notice debris or obstructions in waterways, including creeks, streams, drainage ditches and catch basins.

Contact Kessans by phone at 812-948-5320, ext. 26, or by e-mail at bkessans@cityofnewalbany.com.



Floyd Memorial up and running

Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services lost power for a few hours Sunday afternoon according to Darlene O’Bryan, supervisor of marketing and public relations for the hospital.

Floyd Memorial used a generator for power during the stretch with the main problem being lack of air conditioning in some of the rooms.

O’Bryan said the issues were resolved by 8:30 p.m. that evening and patients were kept cool with ceiling and portable fans.

Patients were still given medical treatment during the power outage, as O’Bryan said the hospital is “well equipped” to deal with electric stoppages.



Rural areas facing challenges

The Greenville Water Utility and Floyds Knobs Water Co. is asking its users to conserve on water, though power was restored to the plant around noon on Monday.

Plant Manager Gary Getrost said its portable generators were being used in Texas to aid hurricane victims, which led to problems pumping enough water for local customers due to the power outage.

“Things are looking a little better,” Getrost said.

Power crews were working to restore electricity yesterday evening for more than 14,000 customers of Harrison County REMC.

The electric company reported outages across the five-county area it covers, which includes western parts of Floyd County as well as Clark, Washington, Crawford and Harrison counties.

On its Web site, Harrison REMC reported some customers could be without power into the weekend.