During a public hearing Friday evening, about 80 residents from areas most affected by Mississippi River flooding voiced unanimous opposition to a floodplain home buyout program proposed by the City of Vicksburg and Warren County.

“I don’t intend to leave, but I’d like assistance to repair what I got,” said Robert Brown, who lives on Browns Alley, and said he’s been in the Kings neighborhood since he was born. “Help me stay there; don’t help me leave.”

Dozens of residents, mostly from Ford subdivision and Kings, echoed Brown’s sentiments. A few residents of Chickasaw Road, just outside of the city limits, also said they have no plans to leave. As the two-hour-long meeting drew to a close, not a single person had stepped forward with a positive word to say about the proposed buyout, which is voluntary.

Despite the fevered opposition to a buyout, city officials and a Mississippi Emergency Management Agency representative said there was little hope for those who wanted assistance to merely fix up heavily damaged homes.

“It’s very unlikely — I’m not going to say there’s no way — but it’s very unlikely that you will get any payment from the federal government or the state to do repairs on your home,” said Michael Mayfield, who represents Ford subdivision and Kings as Vicksburg’s north ward alderman.

Judy Burnett, a Ford subdivision resident, pointed out that most people have lived in the flood-prone neighborhoods for years.

“Our parents have worked too long and too hard for us to give up on our neighborhoods,” she said.

On Friday evening, the Mississippi River stage at Vicksburg was at 43.1 feet, a fall of 0.3 feet in Mississippi RiverTODAY’S STAGE: 43.1 feetFELL: 0.3 footFLOOD STAGE: 43 feetSTEELE BAYOU:Landside: 91.8Riverside: 91.6

a 12 hour cycle. The city’s flood stage of 43 feet was surpassed March 29, and the river crested at 50.9 feet on April 19 — the highest river stage recorded in Vicksburg since the river topped out at 51.6 feet in 1973.

Under an ordinance enacted in 2003, if a home located in a repetitive flood plain is damaged by more than 50 percent of its appraised value during a flood, the owner cannot have the utilities turned on or be issued a building permit unless the home is rebuilt to meet floodplain elevations.

Many residents said they were already having trouble getting utilities turned back on that were cut off during the flood.

John Shorter, Vicksburg branch president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said early on in the meeting that the local government is trying to push people out of their homes through code enforcement.

“Don’t let them rush you into a buyout and out of your homes,” Shorter said. “There are other options.”

At the end of the meeting, Mayfield said, “These people are leaving unsatisfied because we didn’t come here with our pockets full of money tonight, and I can understand that. They’ve been through a lot, and they’re frustrated. But we need to make sure people understand what can and cannot be done in this situation.”

For helpBegin applying for FEMA assistance by registering at www.fema.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.For a Red Cross damage assessment, call 601-636-9182 for an appointment. Assessments are required to receive financial help from the Red Cross.Jana Henderson, MEMA mitigation grant division director, said there is financial assistance available to people who want to raise their homes to floodplain elevations, but said the foundation of the homes must be stable and elevating the home must be “cost effective.” However, no hard numbers were supplied.

“These are voluntary programs — you don’t have to participate. But keep in mind that you’re still going to have to follow the city ordinance, and you’re still going to have to mitigate some kind of way,” Henderson said.

If residents agree to a buyout, MEMA will pay for an appraisal of the home, closing costs of the sale and the demolition of the home. Land acquired through the buyout would be deeded to the city, which would be restricted from developing the land into anything other than a public parks, sports fields or other open space. Vicksburg Mayor Laurence Leyens, who did not attend Friday’s meeting, has said his goal is to have 25 families moved out of flood affected areas within six months.

On Thursday, President Bush declared Warren, Washington, Wilkinson and Bolivar Counties federal disaster areas, meaning residents may qualify for federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individual Assistance programs. Beginning Wednesday, Henderson said, FEMA representatives will be in Vicksburg. The location where representatives will conduct interviews has not been announced, though the Kings Empowerment Center was raised as a potential site.