By BETSY TAYLOR
The Associated Press
Tuesday, July 1, 2008; 7:43 PM
ST. LOUIS -- Some towns along the Mississippi River are beginning the slow task of recovery, even as water remains high.
With the river finally receding from near-record levels, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened disaster recovery centers in the Missouri towns of Clarksville and Winfield on Tuesday.
The river is dropping as much as a foot a day in Clarksville and Hamburg, Ill., though the pace of the decline is expected to slow, said Ben Sipprell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Many towns can expect the river to remain well above technical flood stage for weeks to come.
A few haven't hit high-water marks yet. The Mississippi was expected to crest 12.6 feet above flood stage in Chester, Ill., and 10.5 feet above flood stage in Cape Girardeau, Mo., both on Wednesday. No major problems were expected.
Up to 3 inches of rain was possible over the next five days in central Missouri, but there was no indication the rainfall would impact the crests.
The damage south of St. Louis has been minimal compared to that to the north. In Clarksville, even small signs of progress were met with enthusiasm.
A market under new ownership opened Tuesday to pump gasoline and sell groceries, services the town had been without for about a year, even before the flood hit.
"I had to go in and give them a hug," Mayor Jo Anne Smiley said.
Other shops in the town known for its arts, crafts and antiques won't reopen until perhaps August, Smiley said.
"The antique mall, you can only get to that by boat, and that's the biggest source of tax revenue for the city," she said.
The river continued to press against sandbag walls that protect the small brick buildings downtown. An estimated 14,000 volunteer hours were needed to build the barrier that was still being monitored around the clock. But officials said the receding river allowed for a paring back on the use of pumps and generators.
Five homes and two businesses in Clarksville remained cut off from water service, and another 35 homes were relying on bottled water.
FEMA spokesman Don Bolger encouraged flood victims to register for disaster assistance even if they have insurance. They could qualify for supplemental grants or low-interest government loans.
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