PIKE, Ky. – The citizens of Mingo and Wyoming counties, whose homes and property were damaged by the May 9 flooding, have seen 37 inspectors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). They have inspected more than 1,800 homes and businesses, opened four Disaster Recovery centers to afford victims an opportunity to meet face-to-face with FEMA representatives, and, as of May 29, have awarded more than $4.3 million in federal assistance.

Across the Tug River in Pike County Kentucky, it is a different story. Although local officials met with the governor in the days following the flood, federal relief is yet to come. Meals, bottled water, cleaning supplies and volunteers have come from the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, local churches as well as national church organizations; and other helpful organizations, but the federal government on which flood victims await is has not offered much help.

Some residents are beginning to doubt that the help will ever come.

“Its getting rough,” Stone resident John Baisden told the Daily News.

Baisden’s home was flooded as well as his vehicle. Baisden said FEMA inspectors came to his home in the days following the flood, and told him his home would be considered a total loss when the county is declared a disaster area by President Barack Obama.

“They said it was totaled,” Baisden said. “I didn’t have flood insurance, I just got my house paid off two weeks ago. I’m completely wiped out.

“The walls are coming apart, the floor is falling in,” Baisden said.

Although he has had heart bypass surgery, Bais-den has been working on the home himself, and is staying in an 8-foot pop-up camper under his carport.

“I have been trying to pull the carpets up,” he said. “The house is gone, but I’m trying to dry it up so I can save some of my things.”

His neighbors, Manuel and Shannon Ball, lived in a rental house, but had nowhere to go after the May 9 flood poured 60 inches of water in their home.

“We stayed in my vehicle for two weeks,” Shannon said. “But someone let us borrow a camper, so we have been in that for a few days.”

She said FEMA had inspected her home, and told her the house could be considered a total loss. The Balls had no flood or renters’ insurance.

“The Red Cross has been checking on us,” Shannon said. “Making sure we had some food, some financial support.”

But the people of Eastern Kentucky need more assistance than these groups can offer. The flooding affected areas that had never flooded, so many residents did not have flood insurance. Without federal help, they say they don’t know how they will survive.

A spokesperson for Congressman Hall Rogers’ office said Rogers has been in close contact with FEMA since the flood.

Rogers said he had spoken to the director of FEMA Janet Napolitano, who assured him the agency was ready to act as soon as assessments of the disaster had been submitted by Gov. Steve Beshear.

However, according to Rogers’ office those assessments were submitted to FEMA May 22.

In a letter dated May 22, Gov. Beshear requested that 25 counties be declared disaster areas. However, neither Beshear’s or Rog-er’s office has received notice from FEMA.

Pike County falls into FEMA’s District Four. Spokespersons for that district say they have passed on the assessments as well as Gov. Beshear’s request to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the White House.

Calls by the Daily News to the DHS remained unanswered at presstime.

While waiting, the people of Pike County remain pragmatic.

“I’m just glad someone loaned me a camper,” Shannon Ball said.