EMERGENCY PANEL DAILY GRAPPLES WITH FLOOD

Members of the Emergency Operations Committee listened intently to the weather forecast at their daily meeting Tuesday. The committee includes city, county, Red Cross and Salvation Army officials.

"The problem right now is that the tributaries along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers are full," Mark Hasheider, city emergency director, said. "The rivers can only go up when that rainfall happens."

Hasheider said citizens would do well to follow steps taken by the city to mitigate flood damage.

Police Capt. Steve Strong said he faces a no-win situation when police have to warn residents they are in danger of being flooded out of their homes and apartments. "If they evacuate and nothing happens, they're mad they had to leave," he said, and "if they do get flooded they're mad."

Mary Burton, executive director of the American Red Cross Chapter in Cape Girardeau, said emergency housing arrangements are being made for a mass shelter. So far, the Red Cross has helped 36 families victimized by the flood by putting them in area motels.

"The numbers of families who need emergency housing continue to grow," she said. "We're already looking at moving everyone to a mass facility, such as Cape Central High School or the Centenary United Methodist Church, if the numbers get any higher."

Burton heard reports of people sleeping in their cars the last two days rather than seeking assistance from the Red Cross. "Sometimes the stigma of staying with other flood victims in a shelter becomes too much for people to deal with," Burton said. "Many of those same people have memories of what happened in the 1993 flood."

Betty Knoll, special assignment officer for the Cape Police Department, said sandbag volunteers are still needed in the Red Star District and Dutchtown.

"The city has plenty of sand, but we still need people to help fill the bags and transport them to houses that are in the most danger of being flooded out," Knoll said.

The Salvation Army and Red Cross have provided food and beverages for sandbag volunteers. Salvation Army Capt. Elmer Trapp said about 800 volunteers have been fed thus far. That translates into about 1,200 sandwiches and 6,500 cases of soda since Thursday. Many gallons of water and coffee have also been provided along with potato chips and snacks.

The American Red Cross has provided about 4,500 meals for flood victims and volunteers in Red Star, Dutchtown and Commerce.

Trapp said the Salvation Army is already making plans for a post-flood cleanup operation. Cleaning items such as bleach, cleanser, glass cleaner, paper towels, rubber gloves, garden hoses, buckets and mops can be donated to the Salvation Army right now.

The Salvation Army will receive cleaning supplies from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

People can send money to the Salvation Army, 701 Good Hope, P.O. Box 802, 63702-0802.