HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Ottawa County Emergency Manager Nick Bonstell spent much of this week evaluating flood damage at the north side of the county.
“We’ve assessed over 400 structures. We’ve done damage assessment — physical damage assessment — on about 41 of those,” he told Ottawa County Commissioners on during their May 26, 2020 meeting.
He noted he didn’t ask for an extension of the May 17 state-of-emergency declaration for the flooding.
“We probably will not meet the threshold and criteria for SBA assistance,” he said, adding that Muskegon County likely will meet that standard, based on flood damage there.
The standard is at least 25 homes with damage to 40 percent or more of each building, and as of Wednesday, Ottawa County had just 10 homes in that state.
Because the Ottawa and Muskegon counties share a border, he said, some Ottawa residents may be able to get aid based on Muskegon’s qualification.
Ultimately this part of West Michigan recorded 11 inches of rain over 14 days, creating flooding issues in the northwest quadrant of the county, he said.
Muskegon County suffered the worst level of damage, he said.
Ottawa County deployed 105 certified, trained volunteers who’d undergone background checks, he said. They spent several days delivering personal protective equipment, helping sandbag threatened areas, doing damage assessments, and handing out clean-up kits.
“They really are filling a gap, where maybe other agencies haven’t been able to step up,” he said.
Bonstell praised Water Resource Commissioner Joe Bush and his team for providing countless pumps, and responded with “a lot of emergency work,” he said.
Some low-lying areas continue to have minor flooding problems at this point, Bonstell said, adding “we’re fighting Mother Nature,” as far as getting rid of the remaining water, which will likely happen via evaporation.
