BRUSSELS—A month after devastating floods in Belgium, residents said efforts to rebuild battered towns were picking up pace, but some still saw months of disruption ahead. Flooding swept through parts of southern and eastern Belgium in mid-July, killing around 40 people and leaving a trail of destruction that cut power and swept away whole houses. “Things are moving in the direction of improvement, as the army and the Red Cross are beginning to take over,” said Charlotte Depierreux, a restaurant owner in Liege, who launched a soup kitchen for flood victims. Depierreux said the government had been slow to react, but her volunteer-run kitchen will close this week when the army takes over food distribution. “We have to admit that unfortunately there was a delay in the response,” said Alex Baiverlin, head of social services in Pepinster near Liege where more than 1,000 homes were evacuated and a dozen buildings …