Paying For Derecho Cleanup Puts Corridor Cities To The Test

As if the Aug. 10 derecho had not caused enough devastation, the storm’s aftermath is putting Linn County’s local governments to the test as they front tens of millions of dollars in cleanup costs while waiting for the federal government to reimburse much — but not all — of it months from now.Budget cushions built up to deal with emergencies and other unexpended funds are being tapped to meet the costs, but for Marion that may not prove enough: The city is looking for a bank to extend it a line of credit for up to four years.So far, Marion has been able to float the cost of storm recovery projects, said Lon Pluckhahn, its city manager.