Waters edge into Commerce backyards

COMMERCE, Mo. -- Water from the Mississippi River has moved into people's backyards and covered streets. But for some Commerce residents, moving away would be a difficult decision.

The 1993 and 1995 floods forced Peggy Kight to move out up the street to her father's house. But, to Kight, a Commerce native, the city is home.

"I told my dad that as long as he was alive I'd stay here," Kight said.

Kight likes the peaceful, safe and warm feeling she gets living in Commerce. She enjoys taking walks at night and thinks the river is nice when it's flooding. Last March she came home to find people building the sandbag wall around her house.

She sighs when asked if she would move away if Commerce flooded again next year.

"I don't know," she said. "It's my home."

"Commerce use to be a booming town," Kight said. "There use to be kids here when I was growing up."

Commerce native Earl Knight moved away in 1977, returning in 1998 and witnessing another flood in 2002, which came within a foot and a half of his trailer.

"I've thought about moving out, but probably never will," Knight said.

Knight takes care of his father, who lives up the street, and would go live with him if the river got too close, he said.