OTTAWA, OHIO -
Classes begin on Wednesday morning for students at Saints Peter and Paul school in Ottawa. Five years ago, the school year was just about ready to get underway when devastating flooding shut down the buildings. School officials don't enjoy discussing the subject.
"It's just a sick feeling you know that comes when someone wants to talk to you about it and it's not something that ever goes away," said Mary Kay Durliat, business manager for the school.
For a year, students at the catholic school shared space with their public school counterparts. In that time, improvements were made at the school to prevent damage as catastrophic as the damage caused in 2007.
"You don't ever let your guard down," said Durliat. "We're prepared to never have the kind of loss again."
Village officials feel the same way.
"Every day it rains, I'm lying in bed... here we go again," said Dean Meyer, Ottawa's mayor on the fears of more flooding.
Since 2007, partnerships were formed and local money was set aside, but the progress by flood mitigation teams with the army corps of engineers has been agonizingly slow.
And major flood projects remain in the study stage.
"It's taken more time than any of our residents want to see," said Meyer.
The potential for more flooding remains in both Putnam and Hancock Counties. However, Hancock County Commissioner Emily Walton is excited to share the news that some badly damaged buildings in downtown Findlay will soon come down.
"It's been five years of constant working with FEMA and Ohio EMA," said Walton.
The cleanup and mitigation process was and still is trying. However, Durliat sums up the range of emotions shared by many people who've lived through the flood.
"You never forget the kindness we saw. How people stepped up," said Durliat. "Although, I'd never want to repeat it."
