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But her good fortune hasn’t aided Stockton, Schreiner’s former home for 29 years.
FEMA on Wednesday announced it had approved buyouts for seven Stockton homeowners — five of whom have already moved away.
Mayor Jack Roberts hailed the announcement as “good news,” but it’s bittersweet for Stockton. Residents wondering how much government money they’ll receive and when have been left with little choice but to pack up and leave while they wait. The government won’t let the residents rebuild in the floodplain, so many have simply left to find affordable housing somewhere else.
Since August, eight of 26 flooded homeowners waiting for their buyouts to be finalized have moved out of Stockton.
“Most of them aren’t coming back,” said City Clerk Beth Winchester.
Schreiner, who is still waiting for her buyout, is one of more than 40 homeowners throughout southeast Minnesota still waiting for a buyout to be finalized by federal or state officials. She now lives in Goodview.
“Some of them are to the point of almost foreclosure waiting for their buyout money,” Roberts said.
The timeframe for approving federal Hazard Mitigation funds — which paid for the seven buyouts announced Wednesday — has been a year or more in other disasters, said Kristen Sailer, a spokeswoman for Minnesota’ Emergency Management division.
The state also has tried to expedite the process by directly funding some buyouts, said Kevin Kelleher, who oversees the Minnesota Recovers Task Force. The Minnesota DNR is considering 32 buyouts in Winona, Houston and Fillmore counties, he said.
But Schreiner worries the timeframe for approval is straining some flood victims who are repaying two mortgages while waiting for buyouts funds.
“It’s just taking way too long,” she said.
For her part, Schreiner emphasized she’s grateful the buyout will give her more aid than many other flood victims.
Still, the 61-year-old made the tough decision to leave the community she’s called home since 1969. The homes of two of her best friends in Stockton also were flooded and they decided to leave, she said.
“I chose to move out because my friends were no longer there,” Schreiner said. “It was not easy.”
Schreiner won’t pay off her new mortgage until she’s 91.
Meanwhile, for Stockton leaders, the waiting game and the related population drain can be demoralizing, Roberts said.
“It’s sad that we’re going to be losing residents, but I can fully understand why,” he said. “We’ll just have to pick up the pieces from here.”
Contact Mark Sommerhauser at (507) 453-3514 or msommerhauser@winonadailynews.com.
