FLOOD CLEANUP IN FULL SWING

Signs of the flooding Mississippi River's retreat -- mud-covered walkways and water-stained siding, wet carpet lying on the lawn and ruined furniture heaped on the curb -- show Cape Girardeans have reached the cleanup phase.

If all goes as predicted, the Mississippi River will drop below flood stage at Cape Girardeau next Thursday.

The river dropped below 40 feet Wednesday for the first time in three weeks. It was at 39.9 feet and falling. The forecast was for the river to drop to 39.5 feet today, 39 feet on Friday and 38.4 feet Saturday.

Flood stage at Cape Girardeau is 32 feet, and the National Weather Service predicted the river will drop below that level on June 22.

The Mississippi has been above flood stage since May 3.

Federal disaster assistance information is available for flood victims, who must call to ask for help. The toll-free number is 1-800-462-9029.

Assistance is being offered by the manufacturer of Ducks Unlimited's line of clothing. A thousand pieces of clothing from the Ducks Unlimited line have been donated to flood victims here.

Ducks Unlimited contacted the local J.C. Penney Co. Inc. store and asked for help in distributing the items. Penney's handles that line of clothing.

The clothing will be sent to the Area Wide United Way, which will have the Salvation Army distribute most of it to flood victims.

The donated shirts, jackets and slacks aren't seconds or irregulars. The company wanted to help flood victims.

From his national vantage point, Rep. Bill Emerson, R-Cape Girardeau, sees a way to change the government's response to natural disasters.

Today he plans to unveil legislation to create a partnership between homeowners and the federal government to deal with disasters.

"Our current policy of opening wide the federal checkbook to any and all comers each time a disaster strikes cannot continue," Emerson said.

Predicting when a disaster will happen or how much recovering from the disaster will cost is impossible.

The costs of earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters have spiraled upward into the tens of billions of dollars.

Key provisions of the bill:

-- Homeowners participate in the insurance program in exchange for federal assistance eligibility should it be needed.

-- Local and state governments adopt one of several model building codes and tough enforcement standards in exchange for federal assistance.

-- Private insurers return to the marketplace in exchange for the creation of a new non-profit non-government corporation to help provide disaster insurance.

-- The federal government allows the corporation to borrow from the U.S. Treasury in a catastrophic emergency, repaying loans with interest.

Emerson said: "Shared responsibility and proper preparation are key components to reducing the increasingly expensive costs of natural disasters to property owners and taxpayers."

Rep. Norm Mineta of California is introducing the bill along with Emerson.

Flood assistance

Residents in 24 Missouri counties are eligible for assistance, including Cape Girardeau, Scott and Mississippi.

Those eligible for disaster assistance in Missouri can call 1-800-462-9029 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. People using a TDD should call 1-800-462-7585.

Residents will be asked their Social Security number, address, phone numbers, information about damages and losses, insurance policy number and coverage information, and directions to the affected property.