DUTCHTOWN GETS FLOOD INSURANCE

DUTCHTOWN -- Residents of Dutchtown may again participate in the federal flood insurance program.

The designation marks another step toward protection from Mississippi River flooding for the small village, explained Bud Obermann, who serves on the Dutchtown village board.

The village was incorporated a year ago by the Cape Girardeau County Commission. Organizers hope to develop a levee that would protect the community from river waters. It would also help keep highways 25 and 74 open during floods.

As a newly incorporated village, Dutchtown had to apply for coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program. The community had to adopt ordinances pertaining to the program before it could participate.

Previously, Dutchtown residents were covered through the county.

Under the Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973, banks and other lenders must require borrowers whose property is in a designated flood-hazard area to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage.

"It took some time to get this designation," Obermann said. "But it's a requirement. Technically, we were ineligible for the program until this designation came through."

Participation in the flood insurance program is just one project Dutchtown residents have been pursuing. Obermann said a feasibility study being conducted by the Corps of Engineers is about 95 percent complete.

"There has been nothing negative up to this point," he said. "We are hopeful that in the spring we will be able to start planning and design."

While the study continues, Dutchtown residents are looking at ways to raise the local share for the next phase of the proposed project, about $40,000.

The village assesses no taxes and has yet to collect any income.

Last year the County Commission made the community an $8,000 loan so the feasibility study could begin.

On Saturday, a community yard sale will be held from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Delta Community Center to raise money for the levee project.

In addition, village leaders are looking toward private contributions and grants to generate local funding.

"We're out there working, but we're really just getting organized," Obermann said. "We are looking for ways to make this work."

While Dutchtown residents would receive a direct benefit from a levee, Dutchtown officials say the entire region would benefit if highways 74 and 25 could remain open during floods.

Highway 74 has been closed by flooding four times in the past three decades: 1973, 1983, 1993 and 1995.

In 1993 and 1995 temporary gravel and sandbag levees were constructed in the middle of Highway 74 at Dutchtown. In 1995 the levee extended about 2,000 feet east of the highways 74-25 intersection and cost about $45,000.

Following the 1995 flood, the County Commission said constructing the temporary levee was too expensive to do again and requested the Corps consider a permanent flood-control structure.