Foundation to donate to Hermosa flood recovery

Improvements to include warning siren.

By Journal staff | Wednesday, November 12, 2008

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More than a year after the August 2007 flood that washed out part of the town, Hermosa continues to recover and work on measures to avoid repeat disasters.

On Wednesday, Nov. 12, representatives of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation will present $33,000 to Hermosa Town Board and other community officials. The funding will help buy an emergency warning siren.

"Since the flood, we are more determined than ever to make Hermosa a great and safe community to live in," Hermosa Town Board president Dan Holsworth said in a news release. "Any donations or contributions are greatly appreciated, because we have a long way to go."

Holsworth said the community moved more than 21,000 tons of flood debris.

The Custer County town on S.D. Highway 79 near Rapid City is raising funds for a drainage study and to buy land to establish greenways to buffer low-lying, flood-prone areas.

The donation also was made possible in part by the Black Hills Recovery Network, a community outreach cooperative formed only days after the flood to help Hermosa and other nearby rural areas damaged by the flood. The effort included help from local churches, state agencies, Custer County and Rapid City.

President Linda Kramer said the network continues its efforts, passing on the lessons learned at Hermosa in working with other communities. "Our mission is to provide education, referrals and assistance in developing a quality disaster response system that addresses the unmet needs after a natural disaster in western South Dakota."

The Black Hills Area Community Foundation is a tax-exempt charity established by Black Hills area residents as a way to invest in community projects.

For more about the Black Hills Recovery Network, call Kramer at 255-4291.

For details about BHACF, call Regina Jahr at 718-0112 or go to www.bhacf.org.