Greene, IA- On Saint Patrick’s Day, a community with green in its name is celebrating its revival.
"We're back in business again, and that's Greene,” said Greene Mayor Bill Christensen.
Last June, Greene’s Mayor thought his bustling downtown might disappear. Now Bill Christensen says he's witnessing a miracle.
"When I stood there and looked down Main Street I didn't think we'd be in business again, of course we've been the envy of all the towns around because we do have main street and it's active."
25 businesses in downtown were affected but it was the grocery store that really had people concerned about Greene's future.
"I tell ya, that first month was tough decisions being made, you didn't know what was going on where the money was going to come from so we were kind of in limbo for a while," said T&M Foods Owner Tony Kreimeyer.
Thanks to a Small Business Association loan, Kreimeyer re-opened his doors six months later.
"From Floor to ceiling we're brand new right now," he said.
His customers couldn't be happier.
"We really suffered, when it was gone, everybody realized how much we need our grocery store," said Loretta Miller.
Loretta and her husband Galen Miller also lost their building in the flood.
"When we looked it over we had kind of a dead horse, we had to do something, and we're retired from the real-estate business, and I said, you know, I could live here, and we started, and we got started making apartments," Loretta said.
Nearly all of Greene’s downtown is restored. Now store owners are showing their appreciation with a citywide open house.
"The greene, and the name of the town, this is show everybody that we're back, the whole community is back finally," Kreimeyer said.
Last springs flooding affected around forty businesses and about 125 homes in Greene. The city is still working on rebuilding its community center. At least a dozen organizations use the building. They are working with FEMA to get a grant.
Greene is also on the list of Iowa communities hoping for a flood buyout from FEMA. There are 15 homes on the list.
