Stone barriers for safety Crooked Road resident JoAnna Haan with dog "Jesse" and highway department workers, l-r, Keith Barnes, Bob Lawrie and Bob Bogan, stand in front of crushed stone barriers unloaded on CR 200N to prevent drivers from driving off the edge of the missing road. The stone barriers were necessary because county road barriers on damaged roadways have been removed and/or stolen by vandals. Comet photo by Debbie Lowe Carroll County Highway Department workers spent time Friday dumping loads of crushed stone on the Crooked Road to Flora/Delphi to prevent drivers, unaware the road is washed out and closed, from driving off the edge of the asphalt. The measure is necessary because vandals have removed barricades across the road.

According to county highway engineer Paul Couts, one of two barricades, positioned at the worst section of County Road 200N, was tossed in the ditch after a connecting chain was cut away. He said other "road closed" signs have disappeared.

Couts said signs are missing in various locations throughout the county. He said without sufficient warning drivers may not be aware of the conditions of the roads and may suffer significant damage to their vehicles and may also be injured.

The deep hole County highway workers Keith Barnes, left, and Bob Lawrie assess the depth of the washout Friday on CR 200N, also known as the Crooked Road to Delphi/Flora. Comet photo by Debbie Lowe Crooked Road resident Steve Ashby said he found a "road closed" sign, positioned before the barricades to warn motorists of the road condition, in the ditch more than once since the washout on May 15. He said he replaced it each time it was moved.

JoAnna Haan, who lives next to the missing section of the road, said chunks of asphalt and dirt continue to become dislodged and fall off since the initial flood washed away the road. She said she witnessed sightseers jump on the edge of the already cracked asphalt to test its strength.

The cost to the county highway department continues to mount as workers repair or replace signs and barricades. Couts said Tuesday there would be costs for a temporary fix just to get the road open and then additional costs to permanently repair the road.

No way out Janet Ayres and Lynn Corson, pictured, were landlocked for a week after the heavy rains on May 15-16 washed out their lane over Bridge Creek on their property off CR 200N near Delphi. As Ayres put it, we are now able "to get out after lots and lots of stone was hauled in." Corson estimated a 12-foot wall of water came down the stream. The water was so forceful that it gouged out the cement floor of their bank barn and left about a four-foot hole on each side of the barn. Two telephone poles, logs and debris were swept up against their new board fence, which was under water, and the freezer in the barn was swept away. They also lost their campground and lots of trees. Their five Bantam chickens survived, but they lost one goose. "It was the worst we've seen in our 24 years there," Ayres said. "On top of everything, it was our wedding anniversary. We keep thinking of others who suffered far worse and it puts everything in perspective. Property can be restored." Photo provided "It's not going to be cheap," he said. "The pipe for the Crooked Road itself is going to cost at least $25,000 to replace."

"That price doesn't include pipe installation or a new road," he continued. "We will need roughly 2,000 cubic yards of dirt to go in there."

Couts said overtime costs will also factor into the total the county will be required to fund for the disaster. He said he is working closely with Carroll County Emergency Management Director Dave McDowell to document storm damage to submit to FEMA for federal disaster reimbursement.

McDowell said Tuesday reports continue to trickle in about damage which oc- curred during the May 15-16 storms. He said vacationing residents have arrived home to find damaged homes, vehicles, and land. Others found basement damage in homes which had never before flooded.

McDowell encourages storm victims to continue to report damage to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. He said every county must meet a specific threshold of damage to qualify for federal assistance. He advised homeowners, who do not plan to ask for help themselves, to still report damage sustained because the report could help their neighbors receive financial help for repairs.

Homeland security can be reached by calling (866) 210- 1925 or online at https://oas.in.gov/hs/dev/floo d/public/main.jsp?incidentId= IA20090512.

"We're going to do the best we can in Carroll County," Couts concluded.