NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — In April, communities along the Ohio River faced some of the worst flooding in nearly a decade, with New Richmond experiencing rapidly rising waters. In response, local residents and WCPO 9 viewers came together to support recovery efforts for affected families.
Good Morning Tri-State anchor Adrian Whitsett interviewed key individuals who played crucial roles in helping families recover from the disaster.
“It’s been amazing. I mean, literally, the water was all the way out to the wall one day, and two days later, we’re all sitting in restaurants eating because the recovery effort was phenomenal,” said Kathryn Bailey, village administrator of New Richmond.
Although the flooding was unprecedented, local leaders were well-prepared.
Watch: What community leaders say about the impact and recovery efforts from the April flooding in New Richmond
“This was pretty seamless, because we have had significant floods in the past,” said Pam Haverkos, Clermont County’s Emergency Management Director. “In 2018, we activated a joint Emergency Operations Center, a unified command structure. And so every year, we send out our flood plans and make sure that we are all on the same page.”
This preparedness facilitated a swift recovery response. The United Way’s 211 service played a vital role in fielding calls from residents in need.
“As those calls came in, we were able to identify for residents what they needed and then communicate that through the platform to the volunteer organizations,” said Amy Story of United Way 211.
She noted for the first time, United Way accessed Airbnb credits, allowing 10 local residents to stay in Airbnbs at no cost.
Connect Clermont, a community nonprofit, also stepped up by accepting donations for flood relief.
“We collected pledged amounts over $6,100 for flood relief, and every penny will go into flood relief,” said Bob Pautke from Connect Clermont.
The organization collaborates closely with Story’s team and a long-term recovery committee to distribute funds based on identified needs.
The dedication of the community amplified recovery efforts, and that’s where loyal viewers came into play.
“Generous viewers, as well as WCPO and the Scripps Howard Foundation, we were able to provide about $1,500 additional dollars to Connect Clermont,” Whitsett said while presenting a check to Pautke.
“Thank you very much. It will go into that same pot of money. There are unmet needs,” Pautke responded.
This funding aims to ensure that resources are available to assist those affected by the flooding.
Bailey, an Air Force veteran who worked as a nurse after Hurricane Katrina, emphasized the importance of effective disaster response management.
“If you want to help, you know, rather than restrict, sometimes we restrict things so much that people can't really do what they need to do,” she said. “So if you really just kind of manage it and oversee it and give direction, but don't stop things, I think that’s what you did really well.”
Haverkos acknowledged that recovery from natural disasters will present ongoing challenges.
“The threshold to get state and federal assistance is only going to be elevated,” Haverkos said. “It's going to become more and more challenging for us to get individual assistance declarations, and so we have to build these partnerships in order to be able to help our residents recover.”
That’s why donations will be crucial the next time flooding occurs.
“We're appreciative of good people in Clermont County to come out and volunteer and to help their neighbors," Pautke said regarding the flood recovery efforts. "We're appreciative to all who have given for flood relief.”
