World Photo by Lou Sennick During an informational meeting by the Oregon Emergency Management Office on Wednesday, Joseph Murray, top left, and Christine Valentine talk about the state’s efforts on flood mitigation.

For the last three months, Kara Breuer, her husband and children, have been living out of a playroom at her in-law's house - unable to return to a home that was devastated by flood waters when a dike broke in the Coalbank Slough New Year's weekend.

The three months have seemed like an eternity for the Breuers.

They're not the only ones.

At least two other families, both of whom live on Illinois Avenue like the Breuers, have been displaced from their homes since the flooding. More still have been anxiously awaiting news of how President Bush's March 20 disaster declaration for 18 Oregon counties, including Coos, will affect them - if at all.

As the residents wait, black mold has climbed up the walls of their empty homes. In one, a bath tub has twisted in place as the soggy earth below continues to shift.

On Wednesday night, about 25 residents of the Englewood and Libby areas of Coos Bay - the areas hardest hit by the winter flooding - got the first glimpse of how local, state and federal governments may help them out.

“The bad news is the programs that provide assistance to individuals and families are not available,” said Joseph Murray, an Oregon Emergency management specialist who led the meeting held at the Coos Bay Public Library.

He was talking about living expenses similar to what was provided to those who suffered through the hurricanes on the Gulf Coast last fall, including shelter, food and other essentials.

What is available to Coos County homeowners, Murray said, is the Federal Emergency Management Association's hazard mitigation grant program, which allows the city of Coos Bay and Coos County to apply for grants on behalf of homeowners. The money would go toward buying-out property owners living below the floodplain, or paying a portion of the costs to elevate homes above it.

Murray said OEM won't know for months how much federal money will be heading to the residents of Coos County, but estimated the statewide mitigation grants would run between $1.5 and $2.5 million.

“This will result in people that got flooded by this event, not getting flooded in the next big event, whether that's next winter, five winters or 10 winters from now,” Murray said. “The idea is to reduce damage, cost and heartbreak to everyone in the future.”

But for those displaced by the floods, the process is taking longer than some want to wait.

“We can't wait around another year for this,” said Cindy Sparks, who once lived with her husband and family on Illinois Avenue. The couple does not have family in the area and is staying with friends.

Numerous flood victims with flood insurance coverage, including the Breuers and Sparks, spoke of getting paltry compensation checks compared to repair bids from contractors. Breuer said she got an insurance check for $56,000, while contractors have bid out the work at $75,000 to $80,000.

Sparks and her husband want to knock down their existing Illinois Avenue home and get a new manufactured home - this time elevated - for the same location. But neither the Sparks nor the Breuers were interested in waiting around for the FEMA process discussed Wednesday to unfold.

Murray urged homeowners to be patient or they might sabotage their eligibility for the FEMA money.

Several homeowners were perplexed as to why none of the money could go toward fixing the dike that was breached over New Year's weekend. But officials explained that all maintenance and restoration of the dike is the responsibility of the Libby Drainage and Englewood Diking Districts - not any local, state or federal agencies. The cost to repair the dike vastly exceeds the revenues taken in annually by the districts.

The mitigation money is not a fully funded bail-out by FEMA. The federal government would kick in up to 75 percent while 25 percent would be covered by homeowners, Murray said. In one example, a $30,000 price tag to elevate a home would cost homeowners around $7,500.

Not all homes that sustained damages are eligible for the mitigation money, only those that city and county officials deem have sustained “substantial damage.” Priority also would be given to homes that flooded in the past, or have had repeated claims against the National Flood Insurance Program, Murray said.

Homes are considered substantially damaged if the cost of restoration to pre-disaster conditions equals or exceeds 50 percent of the value of the home. Christine Valentine, an Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development coordinator, said city and county officials don't have to base compensation on the fair market value - but the tax-assessed value, which often times is much less.

A drawback for homeowners who choose the buyout program, Murray said, is they will “eat 25 percent” of the pre-disaster value of the home. For example, a home valued at $100,000 would result in only $75,000 from the federal buyout program. The government also will not buy out empty lots, which many property owners said they had.

Homes covered by flood insurance, that are considered substantially damaged, can use up to $30,000 in insurance payments for elevation, demolition or relocation costs. Murray said there were a few homes that would likely meet the substantial damage criteria in Coos County and a few homeowners whose insurance would cover the 25 percent share.

Those without flood insurance, mainly those bequeathed property by relatives, will foot the entire 25-percent share on their own.

Judging by the interest shown, city and county officials said they received enough confidence to proceed with the application process that has a May 15 deadline.

Bill Bouska, of Coos Bay, owns property near Old Wireless Lane. He said he's more pleased with the response from emergency officials than the response during similar flooding in 1983.

“For people who have lost houses here, I think it's a big step,” he said. “It's much more positive than what has happened in the past. I'm hoping most of these people have the ability to take the 25 percent share from the buyout and heal themselves.”

On the Net: http://www.fema.gov/fima/hmgp/