Morehouse residents still working to recover from flood

Roger Claussen with the Mennonite Disaster Service completes cleanup on a lot at the corner of Cass and Locust streets in Morehouse. The city has removed 62 houses which were damaged by the spring flooding as work continues in the community. Jill Bock, Staff

MOREHOUSE -- The dumpsters are filling up as efforts continue to restore a community devastated by this spring's high water.

Already 62 homes in this small community are razed. Another three houses, said Mayor Pete Leija, and that portion of the cleanup will be done.

"I think people can see that progress is being made. The houses have come down pretty rapidly in the past two weeks," he said, noting those emptying the dumpsters can't keep up with the demolition.

"There is continuous progress going on," Leija said. "But I'm looking forward to the end of the rubble."

While he is looking forward to recovery, he whole process is frustrating, the small-town mayor. He explained he has had to deal with lots of paperwork and regulations on the federal and state levels.

But the most frustrating of all is the promised funding for recovery is no where to be seen. "The federal government has a way of wanting things done in a certain order but also has a way of dragging their feet," he said.

Right now, Leija said, all the money for the work is coming from city coffers.

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