Missouri residents forced from their homes by near-record flood levels will soon have access to a variety of disaster-recovery resources.
The American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas will offer a series of informational events designed to connect flood victims with relief organizations. The one-day resource centers will be held in some of the river towns hit hardest by this year’s flooding, including Boonville, St. Charles and Winfield.
After months of continuous flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, water levels have slowly receded in recent weeks.
For many flood victims, it’s difficult to navigate the various types of disaster aid available, said Sharon Watson of the Red Cross.
“We know how challenging it is for individuals when they come to our shelters and how distressed they are,” Watson said. “Recovery is a lengthy process for a lot of people in these situations.”
Over the next several days, the Red Cross will provide pop-up resource centers in several cities across Missouri.
Representatives from the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency as well as a number of national nonprofits will be on hand to answer residents’ questions and help them understand how to apply for aid.
Gathering multiple organizations in a single location helps make the process “as convenient as possible” for flood victims, Watson said.
“Recovery is a lengthy process for a lot of people in these situations, because they are sometimes in limbo waiting for insurance to come through or trying to figure out how long it’s going to take to get a house cleaned out,” she said. “We try to look at all the different components that somebody might need, whether it’s housing, food or potentially loans.”
Individuals will need to bring identification showing proof of residence to qualify for assistance from some agencies.
Officials will be available to help residents apply for replacement identification if flood victims are unable to retrieve documents from their homes.
The Red Cross has set up a 24-hour informational hotline (314-516-2769) for residents affected by flooding. Volunteers will help provide individualized recovery plans for callers and connect them with resources from partner agencies.
If you go:
Friday, June 28, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Boonville, Missouri
Open Bible Praise Center
16991 Highway 87, Boonville, Missouri 65233
Saturday, June 29, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., St. Charles, Missouri
St. Charles Christian Church
3337 Rue Royale St., St. Charles, Missouri 63301
Sunday, June 30, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Jerseyville, Illinois
Jerseyville High School
801 North State St., Jerseyville, Illinois 62052
Monday, July 1, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Winfield High School
3920 State Highway 47
Winfield, Missouri 63389
Tuesday, July 2, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Winfield High School
3920 State Highway 47
Winfield, Missouri 63389
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