Flood damage vexes Tennessee residents

John Pape in Disaster News Network: While much of the focus on the Mississippi River flooding is on the crest as it moves downstream into Louisiana, the recovery has begun in upstream areas like Memphis. Assessment teams from federal and state agencies, working with volunteers from a host of faith-based organizations, have begun to determine how much work will needed to rehabilitate the more than 700 homes that have been classified as “uninhabitable” after being inundated by floodwaters.

Still, recovery officials said, many parts of the Memphis area remain under water and the full extent of the damage will probably not be known for several more weeks. In its latest update, the Shelby County Office of Preparedness said both the City of Memphis and the county were only beginning the process of assessing the level of damage sustained by the flooding. In many cases, roads are still flooded.

“The Mississippi River and its tributaries will remain high for several more days. This will slow down the clean-up effort and prolong traffic delays,” the county said in a statement. “Many streets and intersections are closed because of high water.”…

NASA image of flooded Memphis, May 10 2011