State representative amazed at the force of the flood waters

District 62 State Rep. Sandra Blanton (D-Paoli) , at left, talks with Greene County Highway Superintendent Basil Shepherd Wednesday afternoon after she toured local flooding damage. (By Nick Schneider)

District 62 Indiana State Representative Sandi Blanton (D-Paoli) received a driving tour of Greene County flood damage on Wednesday afternoon.

She was accompanied by former Greene County Highway Superintendent Mike Hennette, of Linton and Greene County Highway Department employee Chuck Long, of rural Bloomfield.

They visited a variety of flood locations -- including areas along State Road 57 where a culvert bridge over Simpson's Ditch washed out early Monday morning as well as through area in and around Lyons, Switz City and Newberry.

"It's hard to imagine water having that much force," she said in describing how the bridge was simply ripped away from the roadway and washed into a farm field -- creating a 30-feet wide gap in the highway. "It almost looked like a tornado went through there."

Indiana House District 62 consists of all of Orange County and portions of Greene, Lawrence, Martin and Washington counties.

After seeing the force of the flood waters, Blanton said she was simply amazed.

"It's amazing what we saw and how far the water had come from the river," she said. "It (the water) was still running pretty fast today. It looks like it has a long way to go before it goes down."

She said her immediate plan to contact the office of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as well as the Indiana Department of Health and appeal for some help for her district.

Daniels and Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman both have visited a variety of locations in and around Greene County. The governor has already made formal requests for federal recovery assistance to President George W. Bush, who has included Greene County in the disaster declaration.

"I know sometimes it takes FEMA a while to respond. Whatever I can to I will try my best to get it going to help," she said during comments made at the Greene County Highway Department office.

Hennette noted that documentation -- including photos and video -- of all damages is important for officials and private citizens to do in order to expedite processing of claims made to FEMA and other agencies.

Blanton also had a chance to confer with Greene County Highway Superintendent Basil Shepherd -- who has been very busy in the last week dealing with the two tornadoes that hit last Tuesday and Wednesday in and around Bloomfield and then the weekend flooding disaster.

He told her there are several damaged county roads and he added, "We keep finding more."

Shepherd said several among his 41-person department have logged plenty of overtime hours in the past week to keep up with the work at hand.

"They are good people. They are good employees," Shepherd stressed.

He said his crew members appreciate the many thank-yous they have received in recent days since the string of disasters have struck the county in a variety of ways.

The highway department superintendent pointed out that the department's main garage, located between Switz City and Linton, was the center for a massive sand bag filling project that benefited the McGinnis Levee, south of Lyons. More than 80 volunteers turned out to fill the bag and help transport them to flooded site where waters threatened to breach the levee.

"We had about a 700 or 800 ton sand pile out here (in the lot) and they (the people) had sacks and shovels. We had people of all ages...little boys and girls about five years old holding sandbags for Mom and Dad while they shoveled the sand in," Shepherd told Blanton.

He further explained there was a tremendous outpouring of meals and sandwiches from nearby restaurants and stores as well as private citizens for the large contingent of workers who were bagging and placing the sandbags on the levee.

"That is amazing," she said. "It is just great to see everyone come together."

Shepherd was able to keep his humor, despite the long hours he and his crew have turned in.

When asked by Blanton if there was anything she could do to help, Shepherd quickly replied, "Give us some money. Can you write us a check?...anything we can get will help."

"I'll have to talk to the governor about that," the state representative shot back.