MINOT, N.D. — Gus and Jane Krueger spent part of their 58th wedding anniversary in a McDonald’s restaurant, sipping chocolate milkshakes as a government agent provided a crash course in applying for assistance to salvage their flood-ravaged house.

Like most of the thousands of homeowners in sections of Minot overrun by the Souris River, the Kruegers carried no flood insurance and acknowledged feeling lost as they pondered what to do next. Still, they were determined to rebuild and carry on.

“It’s our home,” Jane Krueger, 76, said Sunday while waiting to meet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency official. “It’s where we belong.”

As the river hit its record-shattering peak and began a slow retreat, residents looked ahead to an arduous rebuilding job while continuing to deal with short-term obstacles such as sharing the homes of friends and relatives, traffic tie-ups and an advisory to boil drinking water.

“We know that we have a tremendous recovery effort coming, and even as we talk about how to beat this water back over the next few days, we have already started talking about how the recovery will be managed and organized,” Gov. Jack Dalrymple said.

Just 375 of the 4,000 homes in flooded areas were insured for floods, FEMA spokesman John Ashton said. Many owners said they had been led to believe it was unnecessary after a 1969 flood led to construction of levees and straightening of the river channel.

Mike and Jodi Picard checked with neighbors when moving into their house less than two years ago and found that just one had flood insurance. The river was a quarter-mile away, and the prevailing opinion was that their subdivision was no longer in the floodplain.

“Now you really kick yourself for not having it,” said Jodi Picard, 44.

The couple stood on a bridge overlooking the swollen river, straining for a glimpse of their house in a distant cul-de-sac. It appeared water was knee-deep on the main floor.

They were staying with relatives in the area but insisted their departure was temporary. After the water recedes, they’ll pump the basement dry, tear out drywall and insulation and make needed repairs.

The Souris topped out Sunday nearly 2 feet below projections heading into the weekend, and it appeared damage might not extend beyond the homes and businesses that took on water Friday. Officials warned against overconfidence until the river fell enough to take the pressure off levees. The National Weather Service projected the river would decline 2 feet by midweek.