“It’s crazy,” he said Tuesday while surveying the damage done in West Chester, one of the hardest-hit areas in the county.
In that part of Butler County, six residents of a mobile home park were helped from their homes and about 85 businesses were affected by the flooding, Haverkos said.
MORE FLOODING: PHOTOS: Dozens of West Chester businesses evacuated due to high water
He said the residents were safely aided in inflatable boats and emergency vehicles from the Gregory Creek Mobile Home Park off Hamilton-Mason Road in Liberty Twp.
Then the high water impacted West Chester Twp. businesses on Windisch Road between Crescentville and Allen Road and Allen Road between Windisch Road and River Walk, said Barb Wilson, West Chester spokeswoman. The two largest businesses impacted were GE Aviation and Humana, she said.
Eleven employees at Impact Freight Services were helped out of the business by West Chester firefighters, said Chief Rick Prinz. He said the business is located on higher ground and was surrounded by water that kept employees from reaching their vehicles in the parking lot.
The employees were not in “dire need” of being rescued because it didn’t appear the water was going to rise more, he said.
Most of the employees drove away after the water receded off the road, he said.
Several other employees of nearby businesses were aided and transported to Lakota West High School, Prinz said.
Prinz said all fire departments train for these type of emergency situations and the goal is always to get the residents to safety and protect the rescue crews.
He said preparing for floods is different than training for fires because of the predictability of weather. When he receives weather alerts from the Butler EMA, the department immediately tests its water rescue equipment.
The Butler County EMA reported flooding along Mill Creek near the IKEA in southern Butler County. Haverkos said he called the National Weather Service in Wilmington and was told the Mill Creek water gauge was the highest since it was installed in 2005.
The flooding was the result of overflow of the East Fork of the Mill Creek and a pond between Windisch and I-75, according to Wilson, who added no injuries were reported.
Haverkos credited the team work among West Chester firefighters, police officers and public works employees for reducing the possibilities of injuries.
The NWS issued a flood warning for Butler and Warren counties through most of Tuesday and more rain is expected this week, said meteorologist Steve Hrebenach. Flooding was reported throughout both counties and countless roads were closed due to the high water.
The flooding created about four times the number of service calls for one restoration company.
Dana Oakley, marketing and sales manager for DryPatrol, which serves the area between Dayton and Cincinnati, said the company typically receives 10 to 12 calls a day for service. Those calls include busted water pipes and leaking dishwashers, she said.
But on Tuesday, Oakley said, it received about 40 calls and while she was being interviewed on the phone, she received two more calls.
She said the heavy rains caused “unprecedented flooding” in the region.
Most of the calls were related to flooded basements, she said. When several inches of rain fall in such a short period, sump pumps can’t handle the volume of water, she said.
“That’s when we got problems,” she said.
Here’s what Oakley recommended for those with flooded basements: Call at least three restoration companies and get on their service lists; call your insurance company to see if you have flood coverage; call a plumber to diagnose the problem and stop further damage.
The American Red Cross is accustomed to responding to these type of emergencies, said Marita Salkowski, regional spokeswoman. During flooding disasters, she said, the Red Cross addresses the “immediate needs” of those impacted, including housing, food and financial assistance.
After that, the Red Cross helps those who need assistance “navigating” various agencies, Salkowski said.
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