MUSCATINE, Iowa — Roads that reopened last week mark the completion of only a fraction of flood-related repairs.

Muscatine County Engineer Keith White said as much as two-thirds of flood cleanup work remains.

“We’ve just got a lot of FEMA work to line up for next year,” White told the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors Monday.

Among the projects that still must be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency are repairs to 112th Street in Moscow, Noble Avenue and Kelly Avenue in rural Muscatine County.

The Kelly Avenue project is estimated to cost between $300,000 and $400,000 “just to put the road back,” White said. The levee is gone in that area, and floodwaters left large holes in the road’s surface.

He said money from FEMA is starting to “trickle in” to reimburse counties for their flood recovery costs.

Roads that reopened to traffic last week included:

- County Road F70

- County Road F58 east of Durant

- 180th Street bridge

“Most of what we had going on for FEMA is complete,” White said. But “there’s a long ways to go.”

Buyout funds

Nancy Schreiber, director of administrative services, reported that the Iowa Department of Economic Development notified  the county that it will automatically approve funding for a local match if a buyout of flooded homes is approved.

Funds for the 15 percent local match would be provided through the Community Development Block Grant program.

Courthouse windows

The Board unanimously approved a $37,220 quote from Pella Window for windows for the Muscatine County Courthouse.

The windows include a third pane of glass with blinds in between. Supervisors said the blinds will last longer and remain cleaner than traditional blinds would on new windows.

Reporter contact information

Jennifer Meyer: 563-262-0525

jennifer.meyer@muscatinejournal.com