Bluffton's Feb. 28 flood damages are estimated at $179,400, according to Rick Skilliter, Bluffton police chief. It is likely that the figure will climb.

Skilliter released additional figures for the response to the flooding:
o Village General Fund Expenditures (payroll, supplies, dumpsters) - $3,707.96
o Total sandbags generated - 2,354
o Volunteers (making sandbags, feeding assistance) - 182 (average 2 hours of work per person) = 364 hrs

Donations and contributions

Bluffton Community Members - Helped in a variety of ways including making and distributing sandbags:
o Bluffton University Athletics and Employees - Helped make sandbags
o Bluffton Exempted Village Schools - Students helped make sandbags
o Community Markets / Fresh Encounters - Provided food for volunteers
o DTR, Inc and Associates - Provided volunteers to help make sandbags
o Bluffton First United Methodist Church - Assisted with feeding volunteers
o Jerry Lewis' McDonalds of Bluffton - Provided food for volunteers
o Bluffton Stone Quarry - Donated sand for sandbags
o Quality Ready Mix -Donated sand for sandbags
o REACT - Assisted with traffic control

"Emergency services managers would like to thank the community for the generous response and support during the flooding event. While the community was impacted by the extreme weather event, the situation might very well have been much worse without the efforts of the many volunteers who came together and helped out in any way necessary," said Skilliter.

The fire and EMS departments had 24 volunteers working during the flooding event, two of whom chose to help their fellow citizens to the detriment of their own property.