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Father’s Day floods ravage Fairfield
June 14-16, 2003
After several consecutive days of rain the Southwest Ohio, Fairfield’s creeks overran their banks during Father’s Day weekend 2003. More than 200 residents and local businesses were affected by high waters, most of which was caused by a rushing Pleasant Run Creek and ground that was already heavily saturated.
The event sparked controversy among many in the community, who banned together to form the Fairfield Flood Victims group, and helped to urge Fairfield Council to perform a buyout program for homes along Crystal and Banker drives. With help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the city received $3.4 million in grants to buy 23 homes in Fairfield’s low-lying areas. As of March 2005, most of the homes had been purchased.
In 2005, several of the homes were razed, leaving grassy openings covered in straw. Because the area was declared a flood plain in 1979 by state and federal agencies — years after the subdivision was erected — building will no longer be permitted in the area, city officials said. The portion of Crystal and Banker drives is expected to be used as a park, although plans have yet to be finalized.
Source: Cox News Service, city of Fairfield
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