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Alexandria and Clark County Busch Brewery in St. Louis.? On December 20, 1993. Rep- resentative Volkmer, along with offi- cials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. the Missouri Emergency Management Agency. Ihe Missouri Housing Development Com- mission, and the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission met 100 citizens from Alexandria and rural Clark County at Running Fox Elemen- Iary School in Weyland. Missouri. to hear deIails. They learned IhaI Volk- mer's bill had nO! only passed both houses of Congress. but that PresidenI Clinton had signed iI inIo law on December 2. The small farming community of Alexandria is siIuaIed at the contluence of the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers. MosI Missouri towns have to contend wiIh tlooding from a single river, but Alexandria has to face water coming from two. Because of this enhanced threat. a IoIal of three miles of levees had proIected Ihe town on Ihree sides. When Ihe waters of boIh rivers began to rise in May, 1993. Alexandria's citizens, supported by Mennonite volunIeers and 271 members of the Missouri NaIional Guard. raised the height of those levees three feel to try 10 keep the rivers out of the town.] Unfortunately their efforts failed. On the nighI of July 6th. with waIer already within inches of Ihe levee lOpS. an additional six inches of rain fell. pushing the water over Ihe top and into Ihe town.2 Even bulldozers pushing rock and sand 10 the lop could not raise the levees quickly enough. and all 390 of the town. s residenIs evacuated on July 7.3 By Ihe end of Ihat day. Ihe town was compleIely covered with 20 feet of waIer that sIayed in place for over three weeks. Some of Alexandria.s CtIl- zens found help Ihrough Missouri's Flood Buyout Program. Even before the Congress had passed RepresenIa- tive Harold Volkmer"s Hazard Miti- gation and Relocation Assistance AcI. some Alexandria residenIs were hopeful thaI it mighI help them. Many of the town.s inhabiIants met in the Community Center on November 10 10 discuss iIs proposed provisions.s By the end of Ihe Ihree hour meeting. people had a basic understanding of how Volkmer.s buyout pro- gram would work and how 10 apply for it. Many were worried thaI the government was forcing Ihem out of their homes and not allowing them to rebuild. Herman Skaggs of FEMA explained that people could stay in their tlood damaged homes. but if their home had been damaged by more than 50% of iIs pre- tlood assessed value they would have to raise their home's foundation one foot above the 100 year tlood level to qualify for federal tlood insurance. Alexandria, Missouri flood workers load equipment. Since early September, Representa- tive Volkmer, or members of his staff. had been touring Missouri's tlood damaged communities to explain the proposed legislaIion. Wiley Hibbard. Volkmer.s assisIanI. explained the rudimenIs of the plan to the Alexan- drians. He pointed out thaI Ihe proposed buyout program was vol un- Iary, Ihat people did not have to have tlood insurance to participate. thaI the plan was based on a 75% to 25% Federal/State and local funding divi- sion. and Ihat no pennanent dwelling could be buill on Ihe property once ownership went to the local govem- menI entiIy.9 Every single one of the 123 households within the town sustained damage that made the buildings uninhabitable.5 When the residents could finally reIurn. they found a stark landscape of mud and piles of debris lodged against their water-logged houses.6 The damage was so severe that even a year after the tlood. the town lacked poIable water in homes. and people had to drink bottled water supplied free of charge by Anheuser- If they did noI get the insurance, then Ihe government would make no further payments 10 them in future tloods. Others were concerned about the mechanics of filling out the forms. and Representative Volkmer told them that Ihe Missouri AssociaIion of County GovemmenIs (MACOG) would allow personnel of Missouri's various regional planning commis- sions to assist homeowners wiIh Page 13