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For most people, the flood of 2008 is a mere memory.

For others, the flood is still very much a part of everyday life.

Late last week, KHQA met with six families from Monkey Run, a small community just south of Hannibal.

Believe it or not, these families, and two others in Saverton, still don't have a permanent place to live after being uprooted from their homes more than a year-and-a-half ago.

Taking a look at this gathering, you might think it's a family get-together. In a way, it is...a family of neighbors who have fought the Mississippi River many times and lost. After losing those battles with the mighty Miss, now they feel they've lost the war with the federal government. These families did not qualify for the FEMA buyout program.

"To me, common sense says, their house flooded not once, but twice. The other house got flooded three times. Just since '93. '93, 2001, and 2008. How can they expect people to stay in a place and try to keep going?" says Michael Miller.

Michael Miller and his family own two homes in Monkey Run. On one, they paid off the loan with flood insurance money. The Millers bought this house in 2007, and were told they didn't need to buy flood insurance on it. A year later, the muddy waters took over this home. The Millers still are paying a mortgage and homeowners insurance on this home. They also pay insurance on the other home they own. And for the last 20 months, they've been renting another home and paying renters insurance on it.

"It's been rather tight. Thank God for family and friends that come around and help do things. It gets pretty stressful at times. Wondering if the bills will be met completely for the month," says Miller.

Across the street, Ray Kurz and his wife are in a similar situation. Although they don't have a mortgage payment on their Monkey Run home, they would like to buy a new home and not rent. However, since they can't get a flood buyout on their home, the Kurz's don't know what they have to work with.

"If someone told me 20 months ago, we'd still be in this situation, I never would've believed it. I thought our government moved faster than that," says Ray Kurz.

There is some good news for these families that has come about in recent days.

Money could be on the way to help with a buyout.

Late last year, the Ralls County Commission applied for a Community Development Block Grant through the state Department of Economic Development.

That grant would use federal money for a flood buyout program.

And just a few days ago, State Representative Rachel Bringer learned that the state of Missouri was awarded a Social Services Disaster Grant from the federal government.

Now the plan is to use both grants for the flood buyout.

KHQA spoke with a representative from SEMA - that's the state emergency management agency - who told me he doesn't see any major issues ahead, and is optimistic the grants will be approved.

He said it could take months to get things finalized, but the money from the Social Services grant has to be spent by the end of this year.