FEMA has taken the first step toward buying out victims of last year’s Missouri River flood in southern Buchanan County. Commissioner Ron Hook says FEMA has sent contracts and asked the county to find out how many property owners might be interested. Hook says several landowners have told him they are definitely interested. In fact, the county applied for a FEMA buyout at the request of landowners in the hard-hit Rushville-Sugar Lake area.

Hook says after the 1993 flood FEMA bought more than two dozen properties in the same area, and some who didn’t sell then are ready now.