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Eviction Notices Handed Out To Flooding Victims In Longmont

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4)- A community hit hard has been dealt another blow-- families trying to recover from last fall's devastating flooding have received eviction notices.

Those living in the mobile home park thought they could stay there until they rebuilt but the city has purchased the property for flood mitigation work. And those mobile homes will soon be gone.

"We just kind of feel stuck. I don't know where to go from here," said flood victim Erin Baker. "I've done different things with the city and different things with FEMA and I feel like we're not getting anywhere."

At one time about 70 families called the mobile home park home. About a half dozen remain while they work to get their homes condemned.

Baker was given some rebuilding money but like others still living in the mobile home park, she was told by the City of Longmont it wasn't safe to rebuild.

Baker was told to get her home condemned and then FEMA would award the maximum payout of about $31,000. It took months before she finally got her home condemned by the State of Colorado. That's when she received some bad news from FEMA.

"You're not getting any additional funds. You've gotten what you're going to get," said Baker.

She was told FEMA uses their own inspectors and Colorado's would get her very far.

FEMA told CBS4 they couldn't talk about specific cases but the help they're offering is to restore homes only to pre-disaster conditions.

For the 16,000 Coloradans who received FEMA aid only about 230 of those were awarded the full amount. Those were for homes that completely washed away.

"The city is trying to help us and FEMA is trying to help us but each is pointing to the other one," said Baker.

Time is running out for Baker, "I've got six months to leave. I got an eviction notice from the city."

The City of Longmont did not return calls seeking comment for this story. In the past, Longmont has said they planned on turning what is now the mobile home park into a green space to prevent future floods from happening.

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