The devastation left behind by the rainy remnants of Hurricane Ivan has brought out hundreds of volunteers on the heels of a variety of professional emergency management personnel whose efforts were concentrated in the early hours of the flooding. But without coordination of all the post-flood assistance, chaos could have spread as widely as the mud and debris in the flood-ravaged communities of the county.

Instead, flood relief work appears to be progressing relatively smoothly. Cooperation and coordination between various governmental and charitable organizations is a key reason for the success of local relief efforts.

And part of that coordination has come through the United Way of Butler County, which helped to bring together the resources of several of its member agencies as well as tapping into corporate assistance based on long-term relationships between the United Way and several prominent local companies.

A critical moment in Butler County's flood recovery did not occur on a rain-soaked street in Harmony, Evans City or Valencia. It came in a dry meeting room on Sept. 20, when United Way executive director Leslie Osche met with representatives of the Lighthouse Foundation, American Red Cross, YMCA, Salvation Army, Butler County Assistance Office and the Center for Community Resources, as well as county emergency personnel.

Putting this mix of people, each with their own area of expertise and own personal contacts, together in a room allowed the group to brainstorm through a series of problems and solutions as far as providing efficient and comprehensive flood relief to the county.

For example, a dropoff location was needed to handle donations. Within minutes of that issue being raised, a phone call was made and the National Guard Armory was set to became part of the plan.

Then it was noted that extra phone lines were needed at various locations in hard-hit areas. A few phone calls later, Sprint and Armstrong had agreed to install additional temporary lines, telephones and computers in the various community relief centers to facilitate communication.

It also was clear that furniture was needed, and with just a few phone calls, the relief effort had secured commitments by local and regional furniture dealers to make donations to the flood victims.

While every organization involved in helping flood victims had its own management issues to deal with, the United Way brought some unique talents to the table by providing centralized management or coordination role.

Thoughtful coordination of the relief effort has helped to maximize the effectiveness of relief efforts. And, considering the scope of the problems being faced in the wake of the flood, the cooperative nature of the relief effort has been apparent to most observers, including a majority of the flood victims.

The same organizations that sat down to develop flood-relief strategies are planning to sit down together again to review, critique and determine what could have been handled differently and better to help eliminate gaps or flaws, if another similar relief effort was necessary in the future.

It is appropriate for the United Way to serve as an inter-agency coordinator for this flood-relief effort. With a variety of member agencies and corporate as well as individual contributors across the county, The United Way is uniquely positioned to exercise a leadership role in a countywide effort of this type.

While immediate relief for flood victims is a top priority, this important role played by the United Way should not be lost on the people of Butler County as the organization's annual fund-raising campaign continues through the fall and into the winter months.

- J.L.W.III