FEMA looking to limit Weirs payout
 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new..._flood_repair/

This could be interesting, I am sure Laconia does not have a ton of $$ kicking around.

Which is part of the reason one could argue the boardwalk wasn't sufficiently maintained and able to withstand the runoff. Even so, I'm not sure why heavy rains in Laconia qualify as a "Federal Emergency".

You know, Governor Sarah Palin just spoke at the Weirs a couple weeks ago, so maybe she could put in a special request with FEMA.

If elected, here's what she'll be saying.

"Here in the 'live free or die' state, I just know that folks like the freedom to fix things up by themselves with no burdens of excess government. So sorry New Hampshire, but you'll just have to fix up your own boardwalk and be happy that it got washed away.....yeah! We can just drive on over to Lowe's, get a few hundred bags of quikcrete and set about patching up that big hole in the hill that the rain done washed out.

You folks are just a whole lot better than the government!

:DD:):D

quote Gov Palin

Like any claim made on damages, any insurance company will only restore something to the original condition in most cases. Whether this is paid for by FEMA or by the City of Laconia, it will still be tax dollars paying for this.

I'm under the impression that either the bridge could have been better engineered or could have been better maintained or BOTH. (My bet would be on "both"). I agree with kjbathe's post, too.

FEMA seems to be considering paying for restoration only and not "restoration AND improvements" made to the structure. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this... FEMA is usual fair (notice I didn't say "generous".)

Talking about insurance, I recall a newspaper article that said Laconia didn't have insurance for this damage.

Who'd a thunk? Not everyone has insurance for everything....like...even automobile insurance is legally optional in New Hampshire. Laconia opted to be self-insured, or something.

That railroad embankment with the rail road tracks has been here, just as it is, since about 1885, and never got washed out before. Got to wonder if the increased run-off that tsunamied down Tower St was headwatered up top on the newly constructed, pavement created by the Cumberland Farm store. Could be the total runoff from route 3 and Cumby's all combined into a torrent pouring down Tower St.....and headed for the boardwalk?

It was time to go surf'n down Tower St, that afternoon! :):D!

Find the root cause
 

FLL,

You are on to something here, IMHO!

The root cause of this flash flood has to be determined and work must be done to correct the root cause. If this is not done, the flash flood is likely to occur again. The railroad bed has been there for more than a century, yet it gets washed out this past summer in what was not a "100-year rain-event".

A lot of land has been cleared "up-stream/up-hill" from the Weirs in the recent few years and we had a flash flood. Fixing the damage does not fix the root cause of this problem. It only hides the symptoms.

I hope the Laconia Building Department is looking into the root cause of this and not just working with FEMA to make repairs to the boardwalk.

R2B

Weirs Washout
 

Does anyone else recall the washout of the railroad tracks and the old walkway to the beach? Believe it occured in the early or mid sixties. Very similar damage and in about the same place. I remember us little kids being told by the adults to go wait for the train to come by and fall off the tracks. Funny, but the B&M train didn't come by until the tracks were repaired. Darn!

If you're interested....
 

I was there the next morning and was able to take some pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/EmailRy/WeirsBeachWashout#

So the Feds will pay for the actual damage, but the city wants more?

It is not unusual that municipalities don't have insurance. They are usually self-insured.

What is the problem?