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Near the siIe where the Meramec River empties into the Mississippi. a bend has formed a peninsula; Arnold, Missouri. is on this peninsula. Since 1973. Arnold has been the siIe of nine major floods. ConsequenIly, the citizens of Arnold have a progressive aniIude Ioward "flood proofing'" il. Eric Knoll. Ihe long lime City Administrator of Arnold. is a walking encyclopedia concerning river heighIs, federJ.! flood control pro- grams. state flood regulaIions, flood prevention, and ideas about making his town more secure from rising water. Arnold was one of the first Iowns 10 participate in the early federal flood buyout program in 1980, officially termed the 1362 program. Under Knoll's leadership, Arnold also has passed local ordi- nances that made further efforts to proIect Ihe town.l For instance, developers must adhere to stricI building codes. They musI observe rigid easemenI regulaIions along Ihe Meramec River shore. Since 1980, all new consIruction must have valves installed in plumbing systems 10 prevenI Ihe contamination of Ihe city water system and proIecI sewer lines in Ihe event of flooding.2 In 1993. Arnold faced iIs Ioughest banle against flooding on record when the rising Mississippi River caused Ihe waIer of Ihe Menullec River. which flows on the northern boundary of Arnold, to back up into Ihe town. From July 7 Ihrough August 8, 100 houses and businesses were hurt by rising water. The naIion became aware of Arnold.s plight when President Clinton. Vice President Gore, six CabineI members, and a collection of Page 16 Even before the waIer level began to drop, Eric Knoll and Ihe ciry council had begun to explore the buyout option. On July 29, Knoll contacted Ihe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to request informa- lion about Ihe fed- eral purchase of flood damaged property under Ihe original 1980 buy- out legislation. He told FEMA thaI as many as 100 homeowners might be interest- ed.7 Many Arnold citizens such as the Flanagan fam- Ground preparation for a soccer field in Arnold. ily were tired of fellow Iownspeople were building the constanI threaI of flooding. With sandbag levees. Wherever Ihe natural eight inches of tlood water on the floor lay of the land in the PleasanI Valley of their house. KaIhie Flanagan told a and Bayshore subdivisions seemed to Sl. Louis Post DisoaIch reporter. present a good line of defense againsI "We're hurt emotionally. It's time to nood waters, people Slacked sandbags. find anoIher place 10 live.'", A good portion of Ihe lime Ihe temperature hovered around 100 degrees. On July 28. Mayor Becker issued an appeal for sandbaggers 10 raise levees high enough to protect against a 44 foot CreSl.4 A few days later, she asked people to raise the level anoIher fool. To be on Ihe safe side, 500 families evacuaIed the area. Most levees stood the pressure. but on AuguSI I. a twenty foot section collapsed along Ihe Starling Airport Road and flooded the Community Airport Road Mobile Home Park.5 Then. when levees broke on Ihe minois side of Ihe Mississippi River down- stream from the mouIh of the Meramec, Ihe water level fellIwo feet, and Ihe weal to Arnold was gone.6 Arnold senaIors and representatives met in Fox High School" s cafeteria 10 discuss the nooding in Ihe Midwesu While the politicians were talking, Mayor Marion Becker and her The announcement of Repre- sentative Volkmer', buyout plan, followed by PresidenI Clinton's sign- ing of Ihe acI, and Governor Cama- han. s promise to lobby officials for money while allending the NaIional Governor., Conference in Washing- ton. all encouraged Eric Knoll to begin the applicaIion process for some of the promised buyout money. Knoll began Ihe application process by surveying Ihe flood damaged areas to tind damaged houses. He then contacted the owners by mail to inform them of the plan and 10 invite Ihem to several public meetings to expand on Ihe idea. The ciIy Ihen submitted the material to SEMA.lo