Many Missourians are still recovering from flooding in recent weeks. Two House members say that recovery could continue for months, and urge those Missourians to document their damage.

Representatives Shawn Rhoads (R-West Plains) and Kirk Mathews (R-Pacific) were two among many House members whose districts were struck hard.
Mathews said two municipalities he serves were hit particularly hard – Eureka and Pacific.
Mathews spent an entire weekend sandbagging in both communities, and Governor Eric Greitens (R) also filled sand bags in Eureka. Mathews said a commercial district in Eureka was protected by flood control efforts, but despite similar efforts in Pacific, many homes were damaged.
Rhoads said in West Plains six inches of rain fell in three hours. He said preplanning there was key. State rescue boats were part of the response effort, which was staged out of a nearly completed fire station.
“They made over 100 rescues Saturday night,” said Rhoads. “No one hurt, nobody killed.”

As for damage, Rhoads said a few homes in West Plains were damaged while two of the hardest hit businesses were DRS, a military equipment manufacturer with government contracts, and Armstrong Flooring, each of which he said suffered damage estimated at around $10-million.
Rhoads noted that Governor Greitens praised the response in West Plains as being, “textbook. This is the way it’s supposed to be done.”
Cleanup is continuing in both districts, but both representatives said the focus now is also shifting to documenting damage so that affected areas can get assistance.
Mathews agreed that it’s important that everyone document their damage quickly, “so we can make sure that whatever funds are available are appropriately applied for.”
Meanwhile, both representatives say the long-term response will continue.
Rhoads said relief efforts must carry on to help those displaced, whose recovery won’t be completed in a matter of days or weeks.
Both representatives lauded the response of volunteers as well as law enforcement and state officials to recent flooding.