Two and a half-years ago the little southeast Missouri village of Pinhook paid a devastating price so the Illinois town of Cairo might survive the worst Mississippi River flood in decades. But residents retain hope there someday will be a new Pinhook.
Mayor Debra Tarver says the 35, or so, residents of Pinhook had only a few hours to get their belongings out of the village before the Corps of Engineers blasted a hole in a levee, letting water pour through the Mississippi River floodway. The action took some pressure off of Cairo. But Pinhook took the brunt of the diverted water.
Tarver says there’s no hope of moving back to the now-wrecked village. Residents hope federal recovery money eventually will let them rebuild, but not back in the floodway. “We would have to build our homes, like, 15 feet off the ground,” she says, “It’s just not feasible.”
Tarver says it’s a little frustrating. But she knows the federal relief agencies are working on the situation. She says it’s just going to “take a while” for all the paperwork to be done. Tarver says the residents have faith that God will see it through.
[AUDIO: Tarver interview 11:03
