EMERSON SAYS FEMA WILL COME THROUGH AS FLOOD WANES

SIKESTON -- Once the flood waters recede and the cleanup begins, U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, is confident the Federal Emergency Management Agency will do its job.

"FEMA will provide the kind of assistance to this area we saw in 1993," Emerson said after speaking to a Memorial Day gathering at the Sikeston Veterans Park Monday.

"The problem we're having right now is the water is still holding, so there is no chance for FEMA to make an assessment of the total damage."

Emerson said FEMA likely will have to deal with more damage than the agency witnessed during the 1993 flood.

"In some respects it will probably be worse because the last time, in 1993, the Ohio never got as high as it is now, and we never had as much rain in this area," Emerson said.

"The Mississippi has no where to go as long as the Ohio stays as high as this. At least the Mississippi and Ohio River stages haven't gone up."

The Mississippi was at 45.5 Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The prediction earlier in the week was for the river to recede to 44.6 by Monday.

The National Weather Service said rain isn't expected in Southeast Missouri or Southern Illinois for the next three days.

Gov. Mel Carnahan asked President Clinton last week to issue federal disaster declarations for both individual and public assistance as a result of the flooding, tornadoes and storms.

If Clinton approves Carnahan's request, families, individuals and businesses in the affected counties could qualify for grants or low-interest loans to recover uninsured losses.

Counties requested for individual assistance include: Boone, Callaway, Carroll, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Gasconade, Jefferson, Lincoln, Montgomery, Osage, Scotland, Scott, St. Charles, St. Louis, and the city of St. Louis.

Public assistance, if approved, would help local governments in those counties repair or replace storm-damaged public property, such as roads, bridges, and other public facilities.

Counties requested for public assistance include: Benton, Boone, Cole, Franklin, Gasconade, Jefferson, Johnson, Miller, St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve, St. Louis, and the city of St. Louis.