For most people, the historic New Year flood is over. But for many who need to clean their damaged properties, the work is just beginning.

All the roads in Cape Girardeau and Cape Girardeau County are open. Cape Girardeau plans to reopen the floodgates today, public information officer Nicolette Brennan said.

Even Alexander County, Illinois, which endured the most damage because of a levee failure, has seen floodwaters recede, and all its roads have reopened, Sheriff Tim Brown said.

"It will take a while (for floodwaters) to go back out," Brown said. "It's not up to people's houses, but it's still in yards."

The flood set records in Cape Girardeau. The Mississippi River topped 48.86 feet, breaking the previous record in August 1993. Dozens of people were evacuated from their homes in southern Missouri and Southern Illinois. Flooding may have been most intense on the Meramec River in St. Louis.

People who had to leave their homes because of flooding are just beginning what will be a monthslong ordeal. The recent cold snap has complicated recovery efforts, local officials say.

Relief organization officials say many flood victims are waiting to take action on their homes, hoping declarations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will give them the financial assistance to move.

Kyle Schott, who leads the long-term recovery committee in Southeast Missouri and regional director for Catholic Charities, said damage has been calculated in St. Louis and Jefferson counties, and residents are hoping it will be significant enough to allow southern counties to piggyback onto a relief effort, similar to what happened in 2011.

"I think some people are being cautious to see if there's an option to relocate," Schott said. "Cities and counties want to look at those options."

Another reason residents in Cape Girardeau and Alexander counties might be waiting to work on their homes is because of the intense cold. Schott said the process normally begins with removing all the mud and sand in the house. Then they can remove any compromised furniture and drywall to avoid mold.

But it's difficult to remove moisture when everything is frozen.

"It just locks that moisture in there," Schott said.

The Red Cross is one of the leading organizations in a multi-agency effort to assist people in Alexander County. So far it has 19 cases affecting 46 people, which includes offering the financial means for long-term shelter.

Those figures do not include cleanup and comfort bags handed out at the multi-agency resource center Jan. 14. The Red Cross provided health-care assistance, nursing and medication replacement for 10 people.

Alexander County was the hardest-hit of any Illinois County, Red Cross communications director Peggy Barnhart said.

Sara Gerau, director of the Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross that serves Alexander County, said Illinois residents also are waiting on a potential disaster declaration from FEMA. She said the damage totals are being calculated. In Illinois, there is worry the total damage will not meet the threshold for a declaration, Gerau said.

People are working to try to get back into their homes, Gerau said. In the cold conditions, she worries about hypothermia and other illnesses.

"These people are working their tails off to get back inside," she said. "Just because the water has receded doesn't mean people can get back in that quickly. It's not a quick fix. It will take weeks, maybe months."

Schott and Gerau expressed concerns about a follow-up flood this spring. Residents in Alexander County are especially worried because the levee near Miller City that was breached has not been fixed.

"They're really nervous about it," Gerau said. "There's just a gaping hole."

The American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Area Agencies on Aging, United Way and Goodwill are some of the agencies helping people in Missouri and Illinois.

bkleine@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3644

---

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0XDRlupJQUc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>