On Friday, April 4, Mark Rueschmann with FEMA was in Mississippi County to fill out the preliminary report to see if Mississippi would qualify for disaster assistance for infrastructure damage from the recent flooding.

The flooding date started on March 17 and it wasn’t known what would be the final day for the Flood of 2008 Assistance.

Rueschmann met with County Commissioners Homer Oliver and Jim Blumenberg, Sheriff Keith Moore, Charleston City Manager Dan Gruen, Charleston City Works Director Dave Teeters, East Prairie City Administrator Lonnie Thurmond, Wyatt City Administrator Dennis Hodges, Sandra Morrow, Levee District #3 and Mississippi County Emergency Management Director Danny Harris in the Commission Room at the Mississippi County Courthouse.

Rueschmann went over a questionnaire with each of the entities attending. He said that their assistance approval would be based on damages above $3 per person in the county and with the County having 13,300 citizens that would be $39,900.

Sandra Morrow and Homer Oliver informed Rueschmann that they had already spent over $100,000 on fuel to pump the water at Levee District 3. They have been spending $4,800 a day since March 17 for fuel.

The County has been greatly effected by the flood including:

There have been 40 to 50 road closures in the county due to high water.

Agricultural impacts are far too great to know at this time. There have been many wheat fields lost due to the water, many of them have looked like lakes for the last three weeks.

Sewer problems in the entire county with city sewers overflowing. East Prairie has already started using a bypass pump.

Many people have had to take detours of 10 miles or more to get to work because of the flooding.

Rueschmann spoke with each entity represented at the meeting.

He informed the City and County Government officials that if they received the assistance, they would be reimbursed for the use of their equipment hourly and for the overtime paid to their employees.

The reimbursement is itemized by each piece of equipment and each vehicle and it includes maintenance and fuel.

The County will have many roads that have to be repaired and or replaced, bridges, and culverts that will also have to be repaired. Blumenberg said they had already lost two culverts and they are $35,000 a piece to replace, and the road repairs will easily be over $500,000.

Teeters said that the City of Charleston had received 5 inches of rain in two days. They have Whipple Park completely under water, which will have damage and debris to be removed once the water goes down.

Charleston had several streets under water on Friday, but they were passable. He also estimated $150,000 for road repairs once the water is gone. One of the City’s pumps quit working on Thursday night and that will be another $7,000 to replace.

Lonnie Thurmond said East Prairie has used every barricade and road block the city owns and will need to purchase more to keep the roads blocked off due to high water. They would also have damage to their streets, parks and equipment.

Rueschmann told everyone the most important thing they can do now is keep records of every receipt, time card, items bought because of the flood, repair receipts, pictures of the areas affected and a list of opportunities to stop the flooding from occurring again.

In addition to their employees’ hourly wages, they also need to know the amount of benefits that are paid to each of those employees working overtime due to flooding.

Rueschmann said that the next step if and when the County is approved for assistance, would be another meeting that every entity in the county would need to attend to fill out an official application for help. Then FEMA will go forward by visiting with each entity.

Rueschmann left after the meeting for a tour of the flooding in the County with Harris and County Engineer Richard Wallace.

Jack Heesch, FEMA Public Affairs, was unable to attend the meeting in Mississippi County due to another meeting at the same time. He called The Enterprise-Courier Friday afternoon and in a phone interview said that last week it was determined by FEMA that Mississippi County didn’t qualify for Individual Disaster Assistance.

So in order for individuals in Mississippi County who had property damage due to the flooding from the storm Thursday, April 3, FEMA would have to come to evaluate Mississippi County again.

Rueschmann was only here to evaluate the infrastructure.

Heesch said that Mississippi County’s Emergency Management would have to contact the State Emergency Management and then they would contact FEMA about the County being reevaluated for individual assistance.

Heesch visited The Enterprise-Courier office Saturday afternoon and we emailed him pictures of flooded homes in various cities to support any county application for reevaluation for individual assistance.

Individuals with damage to their homes or property may want to contact FEMA. Heesch’s number is (573) 632-2195.