County offers to compensate victims of Edmonston flood

Some residents contest, saying offer is too low

Edmonston Mayor Adam Ortiz said nine residents, who together claimed $423,000 in damages from the flood, are contesting the county’s initial lump sum offer of $41,000, and that a task force will likely be formed to settle the claims of those nine residents.

‘‘They always low-ball,” Ortiz said of the county. ‘‘And this flood was far more severe and devastating than any I’ve seen.”

He said the county offered about $100,000 in all to Edmonston residents last month, and that 27 of the 36 residents who filed claims have accepted the county’s offer. Most of those residents will receive $1,000-$2,000.

The county’s offer comes eight months after floodwaters damaged dozens of houses in Edmonston, and forced Hyattsville residents to be evacuated from their homes. Residents complained that the county’s Edmonston pumping station overflowed, and that the extra pumps that were called in arrived four hours late.

County officials immediately pledged to send aid, but the effort got off to a rocky start as the County Council went on summer recess without formalizing a compensation plan.

County Councilman David Harrington (D-Dist. 5) of Cheverly said a task force would be the best way to iron out the dispute.

‘‘Certainly, there’s a willingness on my part to do it,” he said. ‘‘Obviously they have to come up with why they deserve more money.”

Edmonston resident Clarence Martin, whose house behind the pumping station was badly damaged in the storm, said the county owes him more than the $3,500 it is offering him because the government had pledged that the pumping station wouldn’t overflow again. The pumping station also flooded in June 2004 and October 2005.

‘‘That’s unacceptable. I just told them that’s unacceptable,” Martin said of the county’s offer. He said he lost furniture, clothes, stereo equipment and even an Acura in the last flood.

Martin is claiming $17,500 in damages from the last storm.

He said he also received about $3,000 in compensation from the October 2005 flood.

Contractors for the county government have started work on a new $6 million pumping station, which is expected to be completed this summer.

‘‘There’s a pretty good amount of progress that’s been done,” Ortiz said.

Lewisdale residents were also recently offered compensation for damage to their homes during the flood.

Brad Frome, aide to Councilman William Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville, said the county offered to give 47 Lewisdale homeowners a total of about $240,000, even though the county was not obligated to provide the money. He said no residents have contested the offers.

‘‘They’re happy with anything they’re able to get. A lot of them did not have flood insurance,” Campos said. ‘‘Any little bit helps obviously.”

Officials said Lewisdale and Edmonston are probably the only communities that will get government flood assistance.

E-mail Judson Berger at jberger@gazette.net.