RIVER RECEDES BUT MUCH WORK REMAINS FOR FULL RECOVERY

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau was at or above flood stage for 165 days this year. It's a staggering statistic. And 124 of those days were consecutive - beginning June 10. It wasn't until Oct. 13 that the river returned to "normal" levels and crept below flood stage. However, the stage today still remains about 13 feet above levels just a year ago.

But more than the numbers were the people affected - thousands upon thousands of them up and down the Mississippi River. Even though the river has settled back to normalcy, it will take the region much longer to move beyond the devastating flood of 1993. A number of families are still without a place to stay - especially in Illinois where the seep water threatened even after the river crested.

On Tuesday, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) shut down the 10 pumps that had worked round the clock for weeks on the levee near Gale. But that doesn't mean the seep water is all gone. About 7,000 acres still remain saturated with water. Barring any heavy rains, an East Cape Levee District commissioner estimated most of the water should drain off by Christmas.

While it's important that we move forward from this disaster, we must remember that repair and recovery will take time. It will require considerable patience and determination as people put their lives and businesses back in order.

In Cape Girardeau County alone, 351 people have applied for federal flood assistance. That ranks the county 20th statewide in the number of applicants for aid. Nearly 200 of these people were eligible for temporary housing assistance due to the flooding. Twenty-eight homes remained inaccessible as of last Friday.

Reclaiming much of Missouri's most fertile farmland along the banks of the Mississippi will be another chore. When the river retreated, it left behind up to 10 feet of sand and silt. Aerial surveys completed earlier this month estimated that about 60 percent of the state's Missouri River bottomland -- about 455,000 acres -- is covered by sand. Reclaiming this land may cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

The debate also will continue on how to rebuild the hundreds of private and non-federal levees that failed. Officials estimated that only 165 of the 600 Missouri levees affected by flooding would be eligible for funding under the corps rules. On the immediate front, decisions must be reached on how to pay for these levees if no federal dollars are available. But the issue also needs debate on a much broader level - the experts should determine if all these levees should be rebuilt or whether floodplains should be used to ease pressure on the levees that do exist.

Floodwaters not only destroyed homes and businesses, but also took their toll on the land. Trail of Tears State Park officials say it will probably be next year before the park's flood-damaged electric campsite and day-use picnic areas can be repaired and reopened. Heavy equipment also will be brought in to repair damage to the road, replace damaged culverts and remove some 4-6 inches of silt from the parking lot and boat ramp.

Work also continues to reopen an almost two-mile section of Route 3 near Gale that has been closed since late September due to seep water. IDOT has dumped more than 20,000 tons of rock on Route 146 since mid-September to keep it open.

On Saturday, about 200 volunteers gathered at Red Star Baptist Church to celebrate a victory over the flood. This opportunity to honor volunteers and celebrate the receding waters was a good way to lift spirits. But as we move forward, we must remember that much work remains to be done to recovery from this disaster. We must not forget the people and businesses that still need our help.