State brings in agencies to help flood victims

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Chesley Rutledge just wants her family to sit down together at the dinner table in her home.

That's not happening anytime soon.

While the once waist-high waters have gone down, Rutledge's Morehouse, Mo., home is uninhabitable. The flood scattered her family as they searched for shelter. Her daughter is staying with one relative, her son with another, and she and her husband, George, with yet another.

The Rutledges came to Sikeston's Fifth and Sixth Grade Center Tuesday hoping to find help.

Gov. Jay Nixon spoke to more than 250 people gathered there for a meeting to connect flood victims with state and federal agencies offering assistance.

Whether people needed a tetanus shot to protect them while cleaning up flooded properties, to file for unemployment benefits if the flood forced them out of work or to apply for loan to help repair flood-damaged homes, they found it in the school's gym.

More than a dozen state agencies set up information booths, but George Rutledge wasn't impressed. About 75 percent of Morehouse was flooded last week, a situation made worse by a temporary levee built by the Missouri Department of Transportation to keep U.S. 60 from flooding. The levee ended up routing more water into the town of about 1,000 residents.

"A nice speech is the only thing they've offered here," George Rutledge said.

Chesley Rutledge was more hopeful, planning to stop by each booth to see what they could offer her family.

Nixon told flood victims the state would provide the tools and resources they need to rebuild and recover. During the past two weeks, Southeast Missouri communities have fought flooding on two fronts as a result of April's record rainfall and the rising Ohio and Mississippi rivers, which crested at 61.72 and 46.24 at 10 p.m. May 2 before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers breached Birds Point levee and flooded half of Mississippi County.

"When times get tough, Missourians come together," Nixon said. "We're going to rebuild together. Together we will win this fight against the flood and we will move forward together."

Three Southeast Missouri counties -- Butler, Mississippi and New Madrid -- received federal disaster declarations, making residents there eligible for individual federal assistance programs. In southwest Missouri, Taney County also received this designation as well as St. Louis County, where tornadoes ravaged Lambert Airport and nearby neighborhoods last month. St. Louis County is also eligible for public infrastructure assistance through FEMA.

Nixon expects more Southeast Missouri counties to receive federal disaster declarations as teams of state and federal emergency management agencies continue to compile damage assessment reports to submit to the president. He previously asked for federal disaster declarations for 38 counties in Missouri affected by flooding and spring storms.

Nixon announced he'd set aside $25 million in state funds to help local governments in flooded counties with rebuilding efforts and cover the cost of the National Guard's response.

It's too early to determine how these funds will be split among affected areas or how much will go to the National Guard, said Scott Holste, Nixon's communications director.

For those counties that receive a federal disaster declaration, people may file claims for assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Federal funds are available for temporary housing, repair costs and home replacement, even for those without flood insurance. Money is also available to replace lost clothing, household items and disaster-damaged vehicles. Moving and storage expenses as a result of the disaster may also be covered by FEMA funds.

Crisis counseling assistance and legal services are also available through FEMA.

A federal disaster declaration also means farmers can be considered for assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency.

The USDA will host flood assistance information meetings Friday at three locations in Southeast Missouri. Meetings will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus hall in New Madrid, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Miner Convention Center in Miner and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Eagles Club in Dexter.

For businesses affected by flooding, both the Missouri Department of Economic Development and U.S. Small Business Administration were on hand Tuesday to provide information about low-interest loan programs.

"We've taken a look at our existing programs and modified them to assist businesses that have been impacted by flooding," said Sallie Hemenway of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. "We're working to streamline our application process or adapt an existing program to meet a specific business need."

Additional assistance meetings are scheduled today: 9 to 11 a.m. at Charleston High School, 2 to 4 p.m. at New Madrid Central High School and 6 to 8 p.m. at Caruthersville Middle School.

For information about services and resources available from the state of Missouri, visit www.mo.gov.

mmiller@semissourian.com

388-3646

Pertinent address:

100 Twitty Drive, Sikeston, MO

606 S. Thorn St., Charleston, MO

310 US Highway 61, New Madrid, MO

1705 Ward Ave., Caruthersville, MO