JEFFERSON - Close to one month after flooding devestated Jefferson, the Main Street bridge reopened on Monday. Water running over the bridge essentially split the city in two for weeks. FEMA opened a disaster recovery center in Jefferson on Monday, but some flood victims are wondering why the center is opening now, as the flood waters have receded. Business owner Del Schmielewski is still cleaning up after the floods. "We fought off the floods, basically, and now it's receded to the point where we can walk back into the office," Schmielewski said. On Monday afternoon, the Federal Emergency Management Agency opened a disaster center to help people like Del. Flood victims are asking what took them so long. In Milwaukee, where the damage wasn't as bad, a disaster center opened on June 20, a full 17 days before Jefferson County. "Everybody in town knew what had happened. All the news stations had been here. But FEMA was in the dark about it," Schmielewski said. FEMA says they couldn't open their disaster center until a damage assessment was made, and the damage assessment couldn't be made because the flooding was so bad that they couldn't reach some areas in Jefferson County. "We were knocking on doors 24-7. So if we weren't here physically with the satellite DRC (Disaster Recovery Center), you can bet we were here knocking on doors," said FEMA spokesman Arthur Navarro. But some flood victims argue if they had to wade through the water, FEMA should have been able to wade through to do their inspections. "I'm in shock, now. Because every day I came to work. I came in my waders, I came in by boat, but I got here," Schmielewski said. FEMA also says the state has the final say on when to open a disaster center. Officials with Wisconsin's emergency management office say the Jefferson office opened later than Milwaukee because the worst of the flooding hit Jefferson several days after Milwaukee was flooded. The Jefferson County FEMA Disaster Recover Center is located at the UW-Extension in Jefferson, at 864 Collins Rd. The office will be open daily from 10am to 7pm as needed. FEMA officials ask that residents and business owners in need of assistance call the FEMA hotline. The number is 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).