Everything I read indicates that these are tough, traditional Americans in Missouri. Locals are calling this the "Great Flood of '08". Middle America has always had a reputation for "digging in" and coping. Some years ago I recall watching and reading news about floods in Colorado. The reports showed people working hard for each other in both rescue and rebuilding. Some of those pictures have stayed in my mind. There is much hard work and frustration ahead for Missourians.

In Pacific, Missouri, people gathered in a downtown coffee house, where the founding fathers of the town had etched their names into historic bricks on the sidewalk. They watched together as water rose about half an inch every hour. Just across the street was a historic house that had been remodeled to house businesses. Volunteers built a makeshift dike and worked it as long as possible, plugging leaks every time one sprung up. Because of them, these buildings will survive.

These Missourians did all they could to hold back the flood waters, then most evacuated when they were instructed to do so. Nearly forty counties were affected severely enough to qualify for disaster relief. That is a large area and only includes Missouri, not the other states that suffered from Arkansas to Ohio. So many homes and buildings in this area were built at the turn of the century and earlier. There was heartfelt concern about losing pieces of history.

Watching the waters tease, they witnessed what the river was carrying with it - furniture, appliances, animals, trees, toys, and even cars. There was little doubt the devastation that was ocurring elsewhere and coming toward them at a rapid pace. Anticipation can sometimes be worse than an actual event, but not in the case of flooding. Along a busy highway in the area near Valley Park crews worked to keep it open but had doubts, expecting a surge of water fourteen feet high and knowing their efforts might be futile, but never giving up.

Interestingly, in late March and early June when I found myself very interested in what was occuring along the flood path,I could not find many articles other than in local newspapers. National coverage has been sparse compared to "Katrina". Perhaps a hurricane is more dramatic, or perhaps the old adage "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" applies here. These people did not squeak! As a resident of a state that prides itself on toughness, I recognized true courage in these that I read about in St. Louis

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