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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend January 28, 2006 Ernie Phillips looks at the pile of damaged furniture taken from his flooded home in Rogue River on Friday. Two contractors have told him it would cost about $100,000 to fix his house. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Recovery a draining process Rogue Valley cities and citizens affected by recent storms wait for federal relief to arrive By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Ernie Phillips’ home in Rogue River, not to mention his life, has been turned inside out. Surveying the pile of ruined furniture on his front lawn, the 73-year-old isn’t sure when he’ll recover from recent flood damage. "We’ve got a long way to go here," said Phillips, who is now living temporarily in his next-door neighbor’s house because his own home is uninhabitable. Phillips and other residents are waiting for insurance adjusters, swamped by other disasters, to give him some idea how much they’ll cover for damages. Until then, Phillips said there is very little he can do. Meanwhile, cities, such as Shady Cove, which sustained an estimated $517,000 in damage, are waiting for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay the town a visit. Advertisement FEMA officials are expected in the county around the first part of February. The county as a whole sustained an estimated $5.8 million in damages to 250 homes, businesses and utilities. Damage to state highways alone amounted to $2.5 million in Jackson County. Shady Cove had the most damage of any city in the county, followed by Rogue River with $346,000. "We need some assistance," said George Bostic, Shady Cove public works director. "Small communities like Shady Cove can’t do it on their own." Bostic said the town’s treatment plant was damaged during the flooding, along with the local park and the banks of Indian Creek. Surprisingly, the Rogue River didn’t inflict all of the damage, although a lot of debris was washed downstream. "I saw a doghouse flowing down river," said Bostic. Because the city doesn’t have an adequate storm drain system, little creeks and ditches overflowed their banks. Fire Chief Bob Miller of Shady Cove said one of the ditches behind the fire station overflowed and the water went into the garage of a newly built apartment complex. Get Wett Rafting on Highway 62 also got soaked as a ditch overflowed, sending mud and water into the business, which was closed for the winter. Mayor Dick Bailey said the city had been planning to eventually refurbish Aunt Caroline’s Park, damaged in the flood. "This might be a blessing in disguise," he said, expressing hope that FEMA will help in the rebuilding efforts. While Shady Cove looks superficially back to normal, residents in Rogue River are still drying out. Steve Pirie, who is letting neighbor Ernie Phillips stay with him temporarily, had insulation, carpeting and other flood debris out in his back yard. Phillips had various heaters throughout his soaked house in an attempt to dry things out. "It’s a pain in the a—," he said, struggling to put his house back in order. He’s got flood insurance, but said his biggest frustration has been trying to get an insurance adjuster to assess the damage. Phillips also said the waiting has been frustrating, and he doesn’t believe much has been accomplished since the flooding a month ago. Two contractors have told him it would cost about $100,000 to fix his house. With help, he was able to get the soggy carpeting and mud-soaked couches out of his house. He’s even managed to recover some of his belongings that were washed away. "My garbage can was a quarter-mile down-river at my neighbor’s house," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Recovery a draining process ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations Casinos Canada dvd-r Generic Viagra Myspace Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Student Loans Sudoku Online Advertisement s Advertisement