The lots now belong to Hancock County and, under program guidelines, must remain open and cannot be resold. No building can be erected on those lots, he said. That means fewer tax dollars for the county. It destroyed the housing market, too. People have agreed to maintain those open lots bought as a result of the flood.
Some lots now sprout gardens, and one has a small playground with swings and a sandbox.
Keokuk, which sits just south of Niota and Fort Madison, built protection around some of its assets after the Flood of '93. The Keokuk floodwall is a direct result of that disaster, Keokuk Public Works Director Bill Richards said. Both the plant and Roquette were shut down for months during the Flood of '93. Upton, who lives on a bluff just outside Niota, is proud of the way the town bounced back after the flood. Empty buyout lots are mowed, and debris has been picked up and discarded elsewhere.