By Sheila Stogsdill

news@joplinglobe.com

MIAMI, Okla. — Church volunteers from North Carolina will be in flood-ravaged Miami through next week to clean up residences and remove debris, church officials said Friday.

About 75 volunteers from The North Carolina Baptist Men’s Convention will help remove drywall and appliances, power-washing and sanitizing homes, said Lin Honeycut, spokesman for the group.

“On Friday, the group completed four residences,” Honeycut said. “But we need to get the word out so we can do more residences.

“There is nothing more frustrating than to have a volunteer travel 1,200 miles and have nothing to do,” he added.

Residents needing help may contact the volunteer group at the Red Cross Shelter at the First Christian Church in Miami.

Twelve days after the Neosho River crested 15 feet above flood stage, the community is still beginning cleanup and recovery.

More than 600 residences and many businesses within the Miami city limits received some level of flood damage. More than 200 of those homes were destroyed.

City officials also said they plan to issue between 200 and 300 building permits allowing displaced residents to begin repairing homes.

In other developments Friday, Miami officials said:

They are continuing to look at raw data for 60 commercial structures and will have some answers about whether they will be approved for building permits on Monday, said Jerry Ruse, Miami utility superintendent and city engineer.

A temporary flood materials dumpsite has been approved at the Northeast Industrial Complex, one mile north of Buffalo Run on U.S. Highway 69A on the east side of the road.

The American Human Society will turn over its services to the Ottawa County Animal Welfare Society on Sunday. There are 92 dogs and 63 cats at the shelter, said Gary Brooks, Miami emergency management director.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Recovery Center is at 1601 N. Main St., across from Sonic.