Rob:  This past summer, residents in the far northeastern part of the state experienced one of the biggest flood disasters seen in decades.  Homes were damaged, farm crops destroyed, and public buildings demolished.  But despite all the material things swept away by the high waters, a spirit of community and Oklahoma pride remain.  Our Brian Bendele visited Miami, Oklahoma, to see how one community is rebuilding.
Brandi Gracia:  I have no idea where that horse came from, but we hung it on the fence because we were kind of scared that maybe somebody would come claim it.  I felt bad, because I was like, some little kid probably rode that horse.  It was right about here was the water line, on the outside.  And here is the water level from the front room and the bedrooms.  And we wanted to see how far the mold went up, so did a little bit more on that side of the wall.  And both of my daughters suffer from asthma and allergies, and so the fear of coming back here was just too much.
Brian:  Residents of Miami are finding new hope after a year of struggles.  On July 3rd of 2007, Miami received one of the worst floods in recent history; and for Miami resident, Brandi Gracia, who lives right next to the river, the damage was evident.
Gracia:  It actually moved my house slightly off the foundation.  You can see where it crumbled the foundation, where the water was mainly flowing.
Brian:  And even with all of the damage and uncertainty of future floods, the possibility to move back was still an option.
Gracia:  What do I do?  I don’t want to go back.  I don’t want to do this again.  I don’t want to red-tag, because what am I going to do about my mortgage?  What am I going to do about everything?  But at the same time I need to know what to do.  I need help to make this decision.
Brian:  Fortunately, all her questions and prayers would be answered, thanks to local and federal partnerships.
Larry Eller:  Why do you want to continue the cycle of flooding in this community?
Brian:  Community development director, Larry Eller, became Brandi’s savior.
Eller:  It’s really heartbreaking to see so many of our residents in this town, we had over a hundred houses that were so substantially damaged, people couldn’t move back into their homes.  They were in FEMA trailers.  Their lives were torn apart.  So it was a situation where somebody needed to do something, and the city stepped in and worked with a number of partners to put something together to deal with this issue.
Brian:  The end result, the city purchased land to build twenty new homes on higher ground; and because Brandi qualified for assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture, one of which will be her new home. 
Gracia:  Every day just seems like, okay, one more day excited.  I go by every day and check and see what they’ve done next to the houses.  But, yeah, it’s better now.  
Brian:  Houses like Brandi’s were not the only structures affected, so were businesses like Boat Floater Industries, and it took a community effort to relocate the facility.
Brian Barger:  We started marking it on the blocks, so as the water would rise we were counting how quick it would rise up.  And at one time, the water was rising about a concrete block every hour and a half.  
Brian:  Economic development director, Brian Barger.
Barger:  We had to remove all of their equipment, their welders.  I mean, obviously, they manufacture boatlifts which is metal fabrication, welding, cutting, galvanization; so you have a lot of nuts and bolts, a lot of small parts that they already had pre-cut and pre-fabbed.  And so, it was a group of 10 people working at break-neck speed, myself the E D director, and also Larry Eller, our community development director.
Brian:  Barger says the 36 year old company was a staple to the community and too valuable to let wash away; but even though they were able to save the equipment and supplies, they needed a new facility, and they needed help to get it.
Barger:  Without the USDA’s 99,000 dollar R-BEG program, we couldn’t have made the top dollar.  We wouldn’t have been able to make the match and wouldn’t have made this possible, and with that flood coming when it did, we would have lost the business and about twelve good employees.  And the families would have been without a job and an income, or a home possibly. 
Brian:  Brandi and Boat Floaters stand as testaments of strength and determination.  So as Miami rebuilds and looks to the future, it’s all thanks to the partnerships they have built today.
Rob:  Joining me now is our Brian Bendele.  So it looks like the town of Miami, Brian, has certainly been through a lot lately.
Brian:  The town has certainly seen its share of disaster.  In 2006, it was hit with an ice storm.  Then in 2007, they experienced the flood; and this past winter, another ice storm hit.  On top of that, the buyout of super fund sites, like Pitcher, has also caused problems for Miami.
Rob:  How so, Brian?
Brian:  Well, people are moving out of the Pitcher area and looking to relocate in Miami, where housing is already in high demand, thanks to those previous disasters.
Rob:  So if I understand correctly, the mining community of Pitcher is going to be completely bought out?
Brian:  Well, not yet.  But according to Larry Roberts of the lead-impacted community’s Relocation Assistance Trust, only twelve people have rejected offers from the Tar Creek buyout.  However, two hundred and seventy-five have accepted the offers to move elsewhere.
Rob:  So, what does the future look like for the towns of Pitcher and Miami?
Brian:  Well currently, there are only eighty students left in K-12 at Pitcher schools.  A number Roberts says will continue to decline as the buyout and relocation are completed over the next two to three years.  The key, though, is to keep Pitcher residents in Oklahoma in communities like Miami.
Rob:  And then, what about Miami's future?
Brian:  Well, they're going to need more housing for these people.  But having been there, it's obvious Miami is making the right partnerships to handle the growth and are prepared for the future.