Rhineland, Missouri 

The Village of Rhineland, Missouri, was flooded not once, but four times during the spring and summer of 1993. After flood number four, the village’s 157 residents decided to surrender to the Missouri River. They voted to move the town entirely off the floodplain. 

A 49-acre plot on higher ground adjacent to the old Rhineland was chosen as the new town site. What makes Rhineland’s story unique is that most of the relocation consisted not of building new homes but of picking up the old ones and moving them to the new site. Thirty-two of the town’s 52 homes were relocated, and during the process, many were brought up to building code standards with foundation, plumbing, and wiring improvements. Weatherization work was also completed on qualifying homes. 

All of the homes in the new Rhineland are nestled against a hillside, protecting them from strong, northwest winds and providing ample solar access. Those that didn’t move their houses either built new ones or settled into mobile or modular homes. All but one family participated in the relocation. 

New buildings were constructed for the village’s businesses. Seventeen of the town’s 18 businesses participated in a buy-out program that enabled them to make the move. Thirteen of those businesses are already up and running, with four more under construction. 

A 22-minute video about the relocation has been produced. For details on that and additional information, contact the following: