PARSONS – Representatives from the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, and FEMA gathered to do a preliminary assessment of the damages to the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike Friday.
Officials from the West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and FEMA gather with Parsons City Council members, Mayor Dorothy Judy,
Jason Myers, Parsons Administrator/Treasurer said officials gathered to do a preliminary damage assessment.
“The area we are focusing on is the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike,” Myers said, while showing photographs of damage to the diversionary structure. “Some of the damage was a little late finding and was a result of Hurricane Sandy. We feel pretty confident that is where the cracks started at the floor at the bottom of the wall. But we didn’t know about them until late summer of last year when a kayaker came into the office and reported the damage to us.”
Myers said primarily, damage could not be viewed from on top of the dike.
“But after these recent storms, the damage is apparent from the top of the dike,” Myers said. “You can see it now. We have lost a lot more sections and one part appears to be sliding down toward the water.”
Myers said the preliminary damage estimate was approximately $325,000. He explained the Tucker County Commission gave $25,000 for an engineering study to be completed, but they did not have the $300,000 to complete the necessary repairs. Estimates to repair the damage now loom at approximately $3 million.
“So you’re saying that from March 3 to the current date, the damage has more than doubled,” said Aaron Verkist from FEMA.
“It is about 10 fold because of the amount of material that is moving,” said Ted Hamb, Thrasher Engineering representative. “Until we get some borings and see exactly what is under the mattress, we have to assume what is under there.”
“In the event that this gets declared, in order to determine the pre disaster conditions from now, we are going to need to see maintenance records,” Verkist said.
Verkist asked for a raw number to repair the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike.
“Just with the repairs without any changes,” Verkist said. “If you make it stable, what would it take to permanently repair the dike?”
“About $1.5 million,” Hamb said.
Verkist asked Hamb to send an email with the estimate.
“That opens us up to different options,” Verkist said. “I have to turn in the numbers because I don’t want the state held up because of waiting for one set of numbers. If our PDA gets declared, then we will start putting together our packet for funding.”
Following the meeting at the City of Parsons, the group traveled to the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike to visually inspect the structure.