(Batavia, OH) - The Clermont County Building Inspection Department completed estimates of structural damage caused by the Ohio River flood of late February and the Feb. 24 tornado that struck a portion of the county.
The Building Inspection Department found through its field assessments that a total of 354 structures had been affected by the flood waters. The Village of New Richmond had the most buildings damaged, 175. One building in the county was declared destroyed in the flood, and that was in New Richmond, while 13 were found to have major damage.
The report estimated that the total dollar loss from the floods was $772,642, based on a total building value of $23.4 million. Building valuations are provided by the Auditor’s Office, according to Building Inspection Department Director Carl Lamping.
“If the building is found to have 10% damage, then the dollar loss is considered to be 10% of the total value as determined by the Auditor,” Lamping said.
For the tornado, the Building Inspection Department found that a total of 46 structures were damaged, for a total dollar loss of $74,800 based on the total building value of $2.1 million. Seven structures were found to have major damage.
Lamping said that enforcement of building codes and regulations to reduce flood damage by local jurisdictions, and the property owners’ efforts to maintain existing structures, “have had a very positive effect on reducing the damages caused by these types of natural events.”
He said that damage was not as significant as might have been expected because more buildings have been kept up to code.