Flood assessment teams continue to seek out victims, damage - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

(WMC-TV) - Though the Mississippi River has crested, the search for victims of the Mid-South's ongoing floods continues.

Friday, firefighters navigated through the filthy floodwaters encasing the Box Town area in Southwest Shelby County.  Their goal: making sure no one is trapped inside with no electricity.

Last week, firefighters found Jenetta Wilson, 80, stranded in her home.  Wilson was planning to stay and wait the flood out.

"I could just stay put," she said, adding that she wasn't worried about the water getting into her house.  Wilson thought she had enough provisions to last the flood, but eventually had to be rescued.  After she was gone, power to her house was turned off.

Wilson said many of her neighbors did not fare well through the floods.

"The one behind me, that water was up halfway to her house when she wake up that morning. They just barely get her out," she said. "My neighbors down in front of me - both of them are sick.  That's tragic to them."

As the waters begin to recede in Box Town, a new reality is setting in, as they leave behind a great deal of damage.

A preliminary estimate from Ball State University suggests the Memphis area could suffer up to $753 million in damages as a result of the Mississippi River's historic flood

The $753 million damage estimate breaks down like this:

- Residential structures, $181 million

- Commercial structures, $122 million

- Residential contents, including furniture, appliances and clothing: $83 million

- Commercial equipment, including appliances and machinery: $50 million

- Other, including public infrastructure repair, utility damages, sewer and water service, telecommunications, crop damages, emergency response costs and local mitigation efforts: $313 million

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