Butler County case managers to meet with victims of March, April flooding

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Even as tens of thousands across the Midwest face rising waters, area flood victims have not been forgotten.

Case managers with the Butler County Long-term Recovery Committee recently began contacting victims of March and April high waters. They hope to help meet any needs that still exist.

"There are some segments of the population that could be impacted for several years," said Dennis French, the volunteer committee's chairman. "We want to get people back to some semblance of where they were before the disaster happened."

About 10 case managers will be contacting all of the nearly 300 people in Butler County who registered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency as being affected by the flooding. The deadline to apply with FEMA is Thursday.

Their first step will be to find out what needs victims still have, from replacing furniture to continuing household cleanup and repairs, said case manager supervisor Sarah Montgomery. From there, case managers help residents contact organizations offering help and aid.

"We have to figure out what assistance they have gotten. They have to use FEMA money first, for the damage they were registered for," Montgomery said. "We've had some people say they are fine. Others need some repairs that are just beyond belief."

Case managers direct flood victims to resources such as the United Gospel Rescue Mission and Salvation Army.

When case managers have helped residents exhaust all other resources, but needs still exist, Montgomery presents the case to the Long-term Recovery Committee. The committee will continue to help with the recovery process, possibly by finding volunteer workers to help and or through limited funding.

"We are a resource. We want to get our community back into full swing," Montgomery said. "I would like somebody to do that for me. This is a small community and we have to step up."

Response immediately after the flooding was amazing, said committee member and Butler County community resource council executive Director Karen Crook.

"But it's the long term recovery that is important now," Crook said. "We want to meet [Butler County residents[']] needs so they don't have to relocate."

The committee and case managers will work with flood victims as long as needed, French said. After a tornado tore through Pine Cone Estates in 2002, a similar committee continued to help those affected for a year after the disaster.

A Long-term Recovery Committee is also active in Wayne County.