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ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt feels like itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a real trauma for some of these people. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve got a neighbor that couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t even sleep every time it rains,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥� Hoth said.

Flood prevention is a complicated and expensive matter, whether youÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™re talking about a big river like the Ohio or a small stream like Fourpole. It requires ponds or lakes where storm runoff can be stored. Those have been talked about for Fourpole, but no real plans have gone out for public review yet if any exist.

It requires not filling in the floodplain to accommodate residential, agricultural or commercial development. Some of that may have happened upstream of Enslow Park. Further incursions into the floodplain must be prevented. Every acre of concrete for a parking lot is an acre contributing to runoff instead of absorbing rainfall.

It also requires keeping the stream channel clear to prevent fallen trees and other debris from forming dams that slow the movement of runoff. Huntington is doing its part by removing debris from the Fourpole channel downstream of Ritter Park. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a process that requires years of monitoring after the last log has been removed, as trees will fall into the creek channel again.

ThereÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s always the possibility of a small levee or floodwall around Enslow Park, but those are expensive and take up a lot of space. It would be like destroying Enslow Park in order to save it.

The other possibility is for the government to buy out the most flood-prone residences in Enslow Park and elsewhere along Fourpole and remove them. ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been done before in this area. No local authorities have proposed that as part of the solution, but federal officials could require it.

The Fourpole watershed suffers from decades of neglect. The study that was discussed last week was one step of a long and expensive process that will require the consent of people in a wide area. People outside Huntington city limits will need to be part of the process as a multitude of federal, state and local agencies work within their areas of expertise and the limits of their authority to develop a plan that can be acceptable by a large number of people with diverse interests.

We can expect another large storm in the next few years. Experience has shown us that. The question will be how much is done between now and then to reduce its impact on people who live near Fourpole Creek.