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News Conference/Newspaper Moderator: Chuck Myer Panel of City Officials: Jay Baksa Cecil Reinsch Dick Cox Harold Ritter Greg Cowart Vern Gardner Bill Ayer John Booth Mike Dorn Norm Allen 9 ~ T elepnone (408) 842-3191 O1it~ of ~ilro~ 7351 Rosanna Street GILROY, CALIFORNIA 95020 JAY BAKSA CITY ADMINISTRATOR NEWS CONFERENCE ON 1986 GILROY FLOOD February 24. 1986 9:30 a.m. Associate Planner (Public Information Officer) City Administrator (Director of Emergency Services) Assistant City Administrator (Special Projects) Director of Public Works Assistant Fire Chief Chief of Police Police Commander Director of Parks and Recreation (Shelter Coordinator) Personnel Director (Volunteer Coordinator) Planning Director (Special Projects) City Engineer PRESENTATION OF PREPARED STATEMENT by Public Information Officer As you know. Gilroy suffered about $5 million worth of damage caused by the flash flood which occurred one week ago today. The City of Gilroy is pleased to be able to announce that late last Friday. February 21. Santa Clara County was designated a federal disaster area. opening the way for federal relief programs to assist Gilroy victims of the flooding. In the next few days. the City of Gilroy will provide temporary office space. equipment. chairs and supplies to representatives of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA. which will administrate the federal aid programs. FEMA will operate out of Wheeler Auditorium (on Sixth St. between Church and Rosanna Streets). FEMA has its own staff. including public relations personnel. and will announce the details of Federal programs as soon as they arrive. All citizens who have contacted or will contact the City to request information on federal programs will be referred to FEMA. -2- Prior to applying to FEMA for federal aid programs, flood victims should deter- mine their FEMA flood insurance coverage, since disaster aid cannot duplicate insur- ance benefits. Residents of flooded areas should be prepared to bring all of their property insurance policies and policy numbers, and complete lists of their losses and needs, with them when they apply for aid. Residents who do not have FEMA flood insurance can still apply for other FEMA disaster assistance programs. The City has been assisting residents in determining which of the current FEMA flood insurance areas their home is located in. The flood occurred in areas desig- nated by FEMA as "Zone A" (100 year floodplain) and "Zone B" (100-500 year flood- plain). Residences in Zone A are required to have federal flood insurance; for Zone B residences, it is optional. A check of City archives has revealed that between 1974 and 1980, the entire City limits of Gilroy south of Sixth Street was designated Zone A. But a study done between 1977 and 1979 by George Nolte and Associates of San Jose, commissioned by FEMA, recommended the current flood zone configurations which FEMA has been using since 1980. Flood victims are eligible for Property Tax Relief. County Assessor forms are available at the City's Building Department (and in your packets) which will exempt property owners from being reassessed on reconstruction made as a result of the flood. Residents may call the County Assessor for more information. In the meantime, cleanup operations by City crews, in conjunction with the Cal- ifornia Conservation Corps and citizen volunteers, are continuing seven days a week. General cleanup operations of streets and public areas began last Wednesday after flood waters receded, and will continue for at least two weeks. Also last Wednesday, the Gilroy Police Dept. began a two-day outreach program to assist flood victims. On Friday, City workers formed canvass crews to assess the needs of citizens who -3- were cleaning up their private property. The goal of these two programs was to fac- ilitate a better flow of information to and from flood victims. On Saturday and Sunday, City crews and California Conservation Corps workers assisted 65 flood victims who requested private household cleanup services: Clean- ing mud from backyards and garages, pulling up carpets, moving heavy furniture, dis- posing of debris, etc. City crews will be taking care of all debris disposal, and will also pick up remaining sandbags on a specified future date. Other agencies are also providing assistance. P.G.E. crews are assisting cit- izens with gas and electricity problems. The American Red Cross is offering post- disaster assistance in the dance & craft rooms at Wheeler Community Center (at Sixth and Church Streets). South County Housing Corporation is offering assistance with assessment of damage, construction training, advice on use of professional services, and help in locating low-interest financing. The offices of our local legislators are also addressing the needs of flood victims. Phone numbers for all of these agen- cies are listed in your packets. Questions about health have arisen as a result of the flooding. There have been reports from residents in the area of a poison oak-like rash. The County Environ- mental Health Department is investigating the situation. Further, there is no danger of water contamination. Drinking water samples taken last Tuesday and Thursday were tested and found to be clean; samples will continue to be taken and tested. (Immed- iately after the flood, chlorination levels were increased as a precautionary measure.) At no time during the crisis was the Gilroy Sewage Treatment Plant in danger of spilling. Pump capacity at the plant is 17 million gallons per day, and the highest flow rate during the storm was 15 million gallons per day. (This compares to an average daily February flow of 5 million gallons per day.) -4- Unfortunately, disaster victims are often preyed upon by unscrupulous business- people who use scare tactics to sell their scams to distraught persons. Citizens who need referrals or have any doubt about the credentials of any person operating in affected areas are encouraged to call the City Public Information Officer, at 842-2137. We realize the public has many questions regarding the timing of events on Mon- day night, February 17. Logbooks, records, tapes, meters and memories of the events of that night are being analyzed and compared. All indicate one thing: an unprece- dented rise in the water level of Uvas Creek in an extremely short period of time. Experienced Uvas Creek watchers, including residents who have lived at the Thomas Road Bridge crossing most of their lives, observed the heavy runoff in the Uvas on Monday afternoon just as they have many times before during heavy storms. Between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m., the continuing rise led trained observers to believe that the water level could rise above the top of the levee by around midnight. The volume of water which followed was a flash flood unprecedented in recent memory. According to a Gavilan Water Conservation District spokesperson, no physical failure of any dam or levee occurred. The flash flood was simply a result of large amounts of water from the Uvas Reservoir spillway, combining with heavy runoff from the Little Arthur and Bodfish Creeks into the Uvas-Carnadero Creek system. Meanwhile, City crews spent Monday afternoon in what is known as "heavy rain duty," attending to flooded streets and blocked storm drains allover town. Most attention was paid to traditional areas of flooding, specifically the north and northwest quadrants, Walnut Lane and eastside areas, the sewage treatment plant, and Miller Crossing at Christmas Hill Park (which had been closed since Saturday, February 15). This chart of water volumes was made from readings taken by the USGS gauge just -5- upstream of the Thomas Road Bridge. As you can see, water levels were actually de- clining Monday until 2:00 p.m. A gradual increase was recorded between 2:00 and 6:- 00 p.m. Suddenly, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m., the volumes increased from 5766 cfs to 12,500 cfs, an increase of over over 117%. The flow rate doubled, peaking at a rate that would fill four swimming pools in one second. At 7:55 p.m., Jay Baksa, as the City Director of Emergency Services, gave the order for the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to be activated, utilizing the Emergency Operations Plan as approved by the City Council in October 1980. By 8:15 p.m., the flash flood waters had begun to escape the levee. The in- crease in water flow during the next 45 minutes was the highest recorded. After being notified, City staff, many just returning to Gilroy through the holiday storm, drove immediately to the Emergency Operations Center located at Gilroy Police Head- quarters. Field crews continued to attempt to barricade streets from the rising Uvas Creek and to respond to emergency calls in flooding areas in the north section of town. At 8:55, City workers abandoned attempts to stem the floodwaters and began to shout evacuation warnings to residents on Victoria Drive. Just after 9:00, pub- lic safety personnel were dispatched by the E.O.C. to begin evacuations. But it was too little, too late. Rescue operations were required immediately as the flood waters swirled through streets and yards, inundating everything south of Tenth Street under at least It-2 feet of water by 8:45 p.m. (and some up to 5t feet by 9:45 p.m.). The turbulating waters damaged 135 homes and 35 apartments, and then moved southeast drenching residences and businesses along South Monterey Street and farms downstream. Emergency evacuation centers were set up at both Wheeler Aud- itorium and Brownell School, and up to 300 evacuees were sheltered and fed for the next four nights. The National Guard was called to assist with welfare checks and additional evacuations early Tuesday morning. -6- Tuesday night, an additional sandbag levee, 1800 to 1900 feet long and 2t to 3 feet high, was built to protect the area's residents from further flooding. This monumental task was accomplished work was done by City crews, the California Conser- vation Corps, and volunteers. Water levels along Uvas Creek were monitored all night. Early Wednesday morning, the water began to rise as it had Monday night. When the water level passed the safety point just before 3:00 a.m., an evacuation was ordered. Approximately 4 a.m., the rising waters crested within nine inches of going over the top of the levee north of the Thomas Road Bridge. The all clear was given to evacuated residents at 6:15 a.m. As a result of this experience, many governmental agencies, including the City, have learned valuable lessons on how to be better prepared for the next emergency of this nature. All emergency operations procedures will be thoroughly scrutinized. Valuable lessons in effective communications have been learned. For example, the City will in the future work closely with other water agencies with the goal of de- signing and developing early warning systems for similar disasters. Several steps can be taken to prevent further flooding in this area. Despite the lack of clarity about which jurisdiction has the responsibility for maintenance and repair of the levee along the Uvas, the City did clean out Uvas Park Preserve area from Wren Avenue through Christmas Hill Park this past fall. The Uvas- Carnadero Creek Levee Project, a joint effort by the Santa Clara Valley Water Dis- trict and the Army Corps of Engineers, has been planned for over 15 years, but has been delayed annually by federal budget cuts. We pray that this disaster will speed up federal funding of this crucial project. Our Public Works Department will analyze the City's storm drainage and utility systems in all areas which experienced flooding. Many citizens have already of- fered valuable suggestions; we encourage those who have additional suggestions to send them in writing to the City, in care of the Public Information Officer. -7- During the crisis, the 911 Public Safety Answering Point, staffed by Santa Clara County Communications personnel to service all of the South County area, was overloaded with calls for information as well as other storm-related accidents and emergencies. Working with the County, efforts will be made to increase the effi- ciency of this system during future emergencies. The City would like to commend all private citizens and public safety personnel who performed heroic acts during the crisis. We hope that you, as media representa- tives, will also continue to recognize these heroes, many of whom still remain anon- ymous, including the man who saved the life of Public Works employee Mauro Lugo. Public safety, Parks, and Public Works employees are all to be commended for their courageous acts in rescuing trapped residents. Many brave citizens also volunteered use of their boats and vehicles in the midst of the crisis. We would like to thank all of the many organizations which came to our assist- ance during this time of crisis, particularly the California Conservation Corps, the Gilroy Unified School District, the American Red Cross, the National Guard, the City of Morgan Hill, the Santa Clara County Elmwood Correctional Facility, and the Gilroy Police Reserves and Police Explorers. Many local businesses and restaurants donated equipment for the emergency oper- ations and food for the meals served to evacuees and workers. The names of these businesses are also included in your packets. The San Jose Mercury News printed an excellent clean-up checklist for affected homeowners; it is included for your reference. The Dispatch and local banks have also offered additional assistance. We also appreciate the courtesy shown by you, as representatives of the media, for getting necessary information out quickly, and for your courtesy and camaraderie during our emergency operations. ## -8- ADDENDUM Additional data received February 24, 1986 from the Gavilan Water District and the Santa Clara Valley Water District includes the following figures relating to the flow from the Uvas Reservoir on Monday night, February 17, 1986: At 7:00pm 5058 cfs At 8:00pm 8095 cfs (60.1% over previous hour) At 9:00pm 9184 cfs At 10:00pm 9416 cfs (Peak Flow) At 11:00pm 8095 cfs The flow from Uvas Reservoir spilling does not include the water from Bodfish or Little Arthur Creek which also flows into the Uvas Creek above Gilroy. The increase in flow between 7:00pm and 8:00pm was 60.1%, an unprecedented increase in a one hour period. The Uvas Creek Channel capacity at the Thomas Road bridge is roughly 10,300 CFS. The flow from the Uvas Reservoir at its peak was 9416 CFS or only 884 CFS below the amount required to top the levee at Thomas Road. The rapid rise in flow between 7:00pm and 8:00pm from the spillway, combined with heavy runoff from Bodfish and Little Arthur Creeks, sent the flow rate well beyond the channel capacity in a short time period. The most rapid rise in flow rate occurred just as the levee was topped causing a large flow to exit the channel. -8- "cc.:' cor~FlilEr\iTIAl QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD - For news media representatives only Ground rules: One question with up to one follow-up question per reporter per turn Turns will be rotated so everyone has an opportunity to speak - Maximum number of turns per reporter: unlimited Please state your name and affiliation before asking your question The Public Information Officer will call on media representatives. The Director of Emergency Operations will respond to questions, or refer them to the appropriate Emergency Operation staff person. FACT SHEET - PAGE 1 ~~ r,~r;::'u'~ ~r,r;r~,~L {t.,_.lO.\oi.iI ~~;n;;.~~a~~~ DAMAGE SURVEY ESTIMATED LOSSES Date: February 18 & 19, 1986 By: Building Department Staff PRIVATE PROPERTY South side: Between Tenth St. and Thomas Rd. 135 single family and 35 multi-family homes 7 commercial buildings Landscaping North area: Ronan, Church and Welburn 16-20 residences 12 businesses East side: Walnut Lane area $2,375,000 160,000 100,000 90,000 50,000 minimal PUBLIC PROPERTY Gilroy High School Gym, Theater, Stadium and Parking Public utilities: electric, gas, cable TV, telephone City streets, trees, storm drains, parks, equipment 750,000 200,000 300,000 PERSONAL PROPERTY Appliances, belongings, etc. 50+ vehicles (rough estimate) 500,000 250,000 Total $4,775,000 BUSINESSES WHICH DONATED EQUIPMENT Bilardi Construction Donhardt Construction P.G. & E. Tree Haven South Valley Disposal Water truck & driver Water truck & driver Dump truck & driver 2 high pressure sprayers 14 people with spray washers Dump trucks, loader Dump truck, driver 2 trucks, many bins BUSINESSES WHICH RENTED EQUIPMENT AT REDUCED RATES Cal Leneave Spencer Rental Western Tile Coors Distributing McDonald's on 1st Street Sandrino's 920 loader, dump truck, 2 drivers Misc. equipment Sand and labor BUSINESSES WHICH DONATED FOOD Sodas Coffee Food BUSINESSES WHICH GAVE FOOD AT REDUCED RATES O'Henry's Happy Stop Nob Hill Foods Kentucky Fried Chicken Donuts, drinks Sandwiches Soft Drinks Food C~. ru=~n. r.1',nf~nL \;....: ~;ii I.t~.)~~"ij I ~H FACT SHEET - PAGE 2 OTHER SOURCES OF ASSISTANCE: LIST OF STREETS FLOODED 2/17/86 Marie Juncker/Dennis Lawler South County Housing Corp. 842-9181 (South Quadrant) Angela Court Antonio Court Barron Place Blossom Glen Court Catherine Court Church Street (South of Tenth) Churchill Place Devon Place Eleventh Street Filbro Drive Garden Court Glenview Court Glenview Drive Hastings Place Hyde Park Place Imperial Drive Johnson Way Kensington Place Kings Place London Drive London Place Monterey Road (South of Tenth) Princevalle Street (South of Tenth) Royal Way Southgate Court Stephan Court Stratford Place Sussex Place Tenth Street (West of Monterey) Thames Drive Thomas Road (East of the bridge) Victoria Drive 25th District Assemblyman Rusty Areias 848-1461 422-4344 (Salinas) 12th U.S. Congressional Dist. Ed Zschau 730-8555 Contact: Joan Williams 17th Dist. State Senator Henry Mello 848-1437 Office of Emergency Services Earl Thompson 298-3031 P.G.E. 842-9361 Red Cross post-disaster relief c/o Wheeler Community Center 847-0697 AMOUNT OF WATER RELEASED BY DAMS: Uvas Reservoir: 300 acre-feet/day released 6400 acre-feet/day spilling Chesbro ~eservoir: 800 acre-feet/day released 1300 acre-feet/day spilling (North Quadrant) Source: Faith Stoddard Gavilan Water District 847-7881 (2 p.m. Tues. 2/18) Church Street (North of Welburn) Kern Avenue Ronan Avenue Santa Teresa Blvd. (North of Mantelli) Wren Avenue (North of Ronan) FACT SHEET - PAGE 3 2/17/86 MONDAY 9 6 2/18/86 30 20 58 9 20 7 2/19/86 25 20 15 22 7 9 20 2/20/86 25 20 25 9 11 15-20 2/21/86 30 25 1 15-20 TUESDAY CCC ARC Citizens Citizens Police Explorer School District Employees WEDNESDAY CCC ARC Inmates, Elmwood Facility Citizens School district Employees Citizens Police Explorer THURSDAY CCC ARC Inmates Citezens Citizens Private Volunteers FRIDAY CCC Inmates Citizen Private Volunteers 2/22-23/86 SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 40 Inmates 30 CCC 2 Citizens CONFU]E~~TIAl VOLUNTEERS Evacuation & sandbagging Shelter Sandbagging Shelter Sandbagging Shelter Shelter Shelter Sandbagging Shelters Sandbagging Sandbagging Shelter Shelter Clean-up Shelter Clean-up Shelter Clean-up Routed to private homes Clean-up Clean-up Clean-up (water truck) Routed to private homes Water truck EVACUEES SHELTERED OVERNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT TUESDAY NIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT BROWNELL SCHOOL 58 186 125 WHEELER AUDITORIUM o 106 o c CJ) CJ) CJ) CJ) ""U ~ ~ ~ ~ r r r G) 0 0 ::D C (.HU~U~ E [,J TU\l :::l c ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 0 0 0 0 0 c ~ CD -. :::l ..... :::l :::l ..... :::l "'0 en en en ..... 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'0.,: ~\ G> -. =~ 00::- ~ ~ a~ ~.... ~g ....c. ~ ..~ ~ .. ~o oS:: = ~ = a .... ~ NAME PHONE The Dispatch 842-6411 San Jose Mercury News 920-5444 Hollister Free Lance 637-5566 Morgan Hill Times 779-4106 Wats. Reg.-Pajaronian 724-0611 Salinas Californian 424-2221 Monterey News Herald 920-5444 Sn Frncisco Chronicle 998-0222 Chr.Sci.Monitor 800-225-7115 Bay City News Service 299-3832 Miracle Miles 842-0100 KLOK KWSS KGO KCBS KLIV KHIP KTOM KDON KFRC KI01 KSJO KUSP United 1170 AM 94.5 AM 81 AM 74 AM 1590 AM 93.5 FM 1380 AM 102 FM 610 AM 101 FM 92 FM 89 FM Radio Network KTVU 2 KRON 4 KPIX 5 KGO 7 KSBW '8 KNTV 11 KICU 36 KMST 46 274-1170 847-0330 998-1433 295-1313 293-8030 637-6096 688-1172 422-3365 986-6397 478-5101 288-5400 476-2800 415-874-0242 415-441-4444 286-5749 415-954-7777 422-6422 286-1111 298-1805 649-0998 MEDIA CONTACTS GILROY FLOOD OF 1986 ADDRESS NEWSPAPERS P.O. Box 96, Gilroy 750 Ridder Park Dr. SJ P.O. Box 1417, Hollister P.O. Box 757, Morgan Hill P.O. Box 780, Watsonville 123 W. Alisal, Salinas Pacific & Jefferson, Mont. 925 Mission, S. F. 450 Sansome, S. F. 70 W. Hedding St, SJ P.O. Box 1530 Gilroy, CA RADIO P.O. Box 21248 SJ 7459 Monterey Gilroy 151 W. Mission. S.J. 151 W. Mission, S.J. Story & Lucretia, SJ 918 Washington St.8B Holl. P.O. Box 81380 Salinas 269 Main St. Salinas San Francisco 700 Montgomery, S.F. 1420 Koll Circle, S.J. P.O. Box 423, Santa Cruz New York City, New York TELEVISION 2 Jack London Sq., Oakland 1001 Van Ness Ave. S.F. 855 Battery, S.F. 900 Front, S.F. P.O. Box 81651, Salinas 645 Park Ave. San Jose P.O. Box 36, San Jose 2200 Garden Road, Monterey C n Fi~ ll:~ ""'Ii 11"'.... !.',S'fU\l ilnU' ~ [H;;. b\1 II 51.. 2/22/86 ZIP 95021 95190 95023 95037 95077 93901 93940 94103 94111 95110 95021 95151 95020 95100 95100 95100 95037 93912 93901 94100 94108 95110 95061 CONTACT Jack Lyness, editor Ardith Hilliard, editor Mark Paxton, editor Cal Chick, editor Frank Orr, editor Mark Whittington News Dept. Tom Keane Cheryl Sullivan Colleen Gullart Mary Hagins, publisher Lissa Crisler Steve Scott, news Gretchen Wells Betsy Rosenberg Rebecca LaPorte Amy Airheart, man. Brad Casey Tom Hixcox Mike Couligan News Dept. Scott Reed Marci Kraus, Mike Beattie News Dept. Al Correl Linda Yee, Steve Johnson Sherry Hu David Louie Joe Glover, Len Ramirez Rod Fladeboe, Ken Walker Betsy Gebhart,Brian Adams Ed Vasquez, Jim Weber l I Flood alert plan outlined Gilroy to send data to city residents ;; Iv /(0 By Dale Rodebaugh Mercury News Staff Writer A graphic explanation of a four-stage floo.d alert that Gilroy city officials have devIsed will be distributed to all city resi- dent:', Chuck Myer, the city's emergency servI~es spokesman, said Thursday. It 18 part of the city's effort to avert the chaos that occurred during the Feb. 17 flood, which caused $5 million damage in a 2~-block area on the southern edge of the CIty. Flood victims say the city did not warn them in time that Uvas Creek was over- flowing at the Thomas Road Bridge which is a couple of hundred yards from s~me of the hardest-hit homes. As a result, a num- ~er of ~omeowners have filed an $80 mil- hon claIm against the city for damages. No time City officials admit they didn't sound the alert until torrents of water were lappiuct at doorsteps. But they say the water ros~ so fast that they didn't have time. . . Now they've produced a flier, which bears a sketch of Uvas Creek and the Thomas Road Bridge plus an explanation of what will happen at each stage of the flood. alert. Each stage corresponds to a certam water level at the bridge; where h~h marks at I-foot intervals have been pamted on a pier. The 13-foot level marks the height of the levee at the point where Uvas Creek over- fl~wed Feb. 17. Since then, workers have laId sandbags to raise the levee almost 3 feet. The first alert will be sounded when Uvas Creek spills over Miller Avenue where it crosses the creek in a low-lying area upstream from the Thomas Road B:idge. At that time, the fire department w1l1 begin checking the water level at the bridge every hour. Stage 2 If the water reaches the 6-foot mark Stage 2 begins. City department heads' who coordinate emergency services. wili be alerted, and four or five officials will be s~tioned. in the emergency center. They wI~1 recelVe reports every 15 minutes on ramfall, the water level in the creek and the amount of water going over the spill- way at the Uvas Reservoir dam northwest of Gilroy. ' . Water reaching the 71f2-foot level trig- gers Stage 3. All department heads will ~ssem?le to discuss emergency measures. mcludmg evacuation - the fourth stage of the alert. . Resi?en~ will be advised by police offi- cers usmg Sirens and bullhorns to evacuate See NOTE, Page 2B ~lood alert plan outlined NOTE, from Page 1B their .homes when water reaches the 911z-foot mark - about 4 feet below the top of the levee. , The. flier will be sent to all resi- dents'once a year, Myer said. . M~anwhile, the city is awaiting a'reply from the Federal Emer- gen~'y :Management Agency a~ut i4;re.quest that the flooded ne~gh- borhoOd be reclassified as a hlgh- hazard flood zone. When the agency was created in the mid- 1970sialmost all of Gilroy was dtlSign::ited a flood plain. Another study~however, put virtually all of U~e city, including the flooded area, in a low-risk zone. ::As a result, many people dropped their flood insurance, which had been mandatory for all " home buyers with federally guar- 'anteea loans. Few, if any, of the r~idents of the disaster area were ~ carrying flood insurance when Uvas Creek overflowed. FEMA officials say that reclas- sifying the area could take six months to several years. On another front, City Adminis- trator Jay Baksa said the $80 mil- lion claim by homeowners against the city for flood damages will be on the city council agenda Monday. After the council rejects it, he said, the claim will be sent to the city's insurance carrier. An attorney for the homeowners wants the city to use its $6 million general liability insur~nce pol.icy, which protects the CIty agamst negligence, to pay for the dam- ages. He alleges that the city was I negligent in allowing homes to be I built in the area without proper I flood-control measures. The homeowners have filed a similar claim against the Sant: Clara Valley Water District. ~"' ,-- San Jose Mercury News, Thursday morning, March 6, 1986 Section B' ,South County. Gilroy . Morgan Hill . San Benito County Gilroy flood victims to file claim agains~ city By Dale Rodebaugh Mercury News Staff Writer .. Gilroy flood victims who last week filed an $80 million claim against the Santa Clara Valley Water District today will anrounce through their attorneys that they wi~l file a similar claim against the city of Gilroy. Attorneys are expected to say at a news cO,lference that they will offer to settle for $6 million if Gilroy agrees to settle quickly. ;'l~lP'j'1 ........'. .. In an open letter that San Francisco attorneys Carol Hamilton and Ray Vourhis plan to send to Gilroy Mayor Roberta Hughan and city council members, they will ask that Gilroy put its $6 million general liability insurance policy at the disposal of several hundred flood victims. In the letter, Vourhis and Hamilton say that the city was responsible because in spite of knowing that the area was flood- prone and after Jailing for 12 years to get federal money for a flood control project on Uvas Creek, the city council allowed homes to be built there. "No serious mitigating steps were required as a precondition to the outra- geous approval of the zoning changes," Vourhis and Hamilton say, adding that the action was just one of a long list of negli- gent acts on the part of the city. "In virtually all cases, these victims had invested their life savings in their prop- erty. By any standards, the city of Gilroy bears a large measure of responsibility for this tragedy." After Uvas Creek overflowed its banks Feb. 17, causing $5 million damage in a 20-block area, Hamilton and Vourhis met with 50 people in the flood-damaged home of one victim to discuss legal action. On Feb. 26, Vourhis filed the $80 million claim against the water district on grounds that it was partly responsible for the flooding because it had failed to prop- erly maintain the Uvas Creek channel. A water district spokesman has denied. the allegation. The attorneys say that if the city will use its general liability insurance to pay the flood victims, the $80 million claim against the city will be dropped. Also, the victims will agree to reimburse the city if they recover money from other defendants in future lawsuits.