Dutchtown in final stages of flood buyout project

The tiny village of Dutchtown has become smaller as residents in flood-prone areas pack up their belongings and head for higher ground.

Seeking refuge from rising floodwaters is not a new experience for people in Dutchtown's low-lying neighborhoods. But this time, it's a little different. This time, people will not return to their homes, but moving into new ones.

It's all thanks to a federal buyout. In early 2014, the village received $797,758 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist with a flood buyout project. The Missouri Department of Economic Development also approved $208,663 in community development block grants to help Dutchtown acquire the properties damaged in a 2011 flood. The block grant also helped Dutchtown reach the 25 percent match required with the federal grant.

Dutchtown's interest in a federal buyout extends beyond 2014, but applying for the FEMA grant took time, said Angie Crutsinger.

"It was a long process," she said in a phone interview. "I think anytime you write for a federal grant it is, because you have to do everything just right."

Crutsinger previously served as the chairwoman of the Dutchtown Board of Trustees until she moved out of town in 2012, but still acts as a project coordinator for the flood buyout project.

After years of sandbagging and worrying over river levels, it seems all the pieces finally are coming together for Dutchtown.

"We are actually in some of the final phases of it, so we're very happy. I guess it's just kind of odd?" she said with a laugh.

Flooding has in many ways become part of Dutchtown's identity, garnering media attention as recently as 2013, when floodwaters covered much of the village.

Fifteen homes were included in the federal buyout, and 11 homes accepted the offer, which Crutsinger said was voluntary. To ensure everyone has time to find a new place to live, she said they are going through the process in two phases, acquiring the first four homes this week and the remaining seven in about a month. Demolition of the buildings is required 90 days after closing.

Dutchtown resident Susan Reed said most of the remaining people involved in the flood buyout already have moved.

"They loaded up as soon as they saw the water coming," she said. "Most of them are just gone."

The Mississippi River surpassed 42 feet this week, which is major flood stage, bringing water up to the brim of many roads around Dutchtown. One section of Highway 74, near its intersection with Highway 25, remained covered by a few inches of water Wednesday, though it was passable.

Reed is fortunate to live in one of the more elevated neighborhoods in Dutchtown that experiences little more than basement flooding when major floodwaters reach the area. While it's unfortunate to see more people leave the community, she said the buyout was beneficial to those who could no longer continue packing up their belongings every time the river level rises.

"It's the perfect opportunity to pack up and leave," said Reed.

Crutsinger knows people in surrounding communities have questioned why residents continue to live in flood zones. For many, she said, the answer was simple: Leaving was not a financial option. They likely wouldn't be able to sell the home or at least would have trouble selling it at a decent price, she said. The buyout solved that problem.

"I think, for the most part, those 11 property owners, I think they are very happy," Crutsinger said.

Properties obtained through the buyout will belong to Dutchtown. Use of land in a floodplain is limited, and often such properties "are just left," she said. Turning the area into a park is an option, although no enclosed buildings would be allowed.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Dutchtown, Mo.