Skip to main content

Record Flooding Threatens With More Rain Ahead

The dangerous high waters of the Mississippi have returned to threaten properties in the delta of this great river. For one area, the idea of taking on more water has become more and more a reality some are not willing embrace. In January of 2016 a three quarter mile section of the Len Small Levee was breached and then collapsed by flood waters from the Mississippi River. Water inundated farmland and left behind 10-foot sand deposits after it receded. Alexander County officials appealed to the St. Louis District Army Corps of Engineers and were denied the assistance to make the $16 million estimate cost of repair. Just this past month farmers considered a plan to rebuild the levee with their own equipment to take place in June.

Time has now run out to repair the collapsed section of levee as the water rises quickly on the Mississippi River after a record amount of rain fell across many of its tributaries to the north.  I spoke to one resident in that area today who says they are back to sandbagging in preparation for the rising waters.The map below shows widespread reports of 4-7" of rain over a 2-day period (this past weekend). An impressive total of 8.95" was recorded near Goreville, IL. The Mississippi and Muddy Rivers will be quickly rising as they ingest the runoff from the weekend event. According to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, "Gov. Rauner activated the State Emergency Operations Center today to ensure state personnel and equipment are ready to be quickly deployed if needed to help local emergency responders with flood-related public safety issues. Representatives from several state agencies, the American Red Cross and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently are manning the SEOC to coordinate deployment of state resources and personnel."


Below is a look at the 8PM Monday river levels and expected crest days/levels for parts of the Mississippi and Muddy Rivers. To access all area lake and river information, click here




Additional rain is expected to arrive by sunrise for MO/IL and continue through Thursday afternoon. Here is what the computer models are projecting for rainfall totals from Wed-Thu of this week. River forecasting does not yet take into account this additional rain headed our way.









Comments

OH My!!! Hope this flooding wasn't as disatrous as they had predicted!!! prayers are with both the ones that were affected and they ones that weren't

Popular posts from this blog

Mid-South Winter Outlook 2023-2024

Getting a general idea of what the upcoming Winter months (December, January and February) will look like for our region can be heavily influenced by El Nino and La Nina episodes. Global and oceanic forecasters have observed El Nino conditions in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and an EL NINO ADVISORY has been issued. The episode is expected to continue through Spring (March, April and May) in the Northern Hemisphere. Model projections are pointing to a strong, possibly very strong episode occurrence.  (Current Sea Surface Temps warming off S. America) Meteorologists look at monthly data from Dec - Jan - Feb to determine a winter season average, or define that period of time as Meteorological Winter. An average winter in the Local 6 area shows an average temperature of 37 degrees, average precipitation total of 12.18" and average snowfall of 8.4". The National Weather Service in Paducah has historical data that covers 7 of the past strongest El Nino episodes in the past

Planting Zones Heading North

As our global climate changes, so does our planting zones, helping us determine which flowers/shrubs/trees are hardy in specific areas. The Local 6 area has always been split by 2-3 growing zones so placement becomes very important to those in the agricultural community. The image below represents the average over the past 30 years. Climate Central published the following information:  "What kinds of flowers, shrubs and trees you’ll find at your local nursery depends on your climate — how warm it tends to get in summer, and how cold in winter. A plant that’s happy in Wisconsin might be miserable in Alabama, and vice versa. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has formalized these differences into " hardiness zones " — strips of similar climate that run more or less east-to-west (except in the high mountains), where particular plants should do especially well. But as the planet warms under its thickening blanket of greenhouse gases, those zones are shifting northward. Th

Update: Impacts From Tropical Depression Bill

Friday AM Update Heavy rain still appears to be our greatest concern as the remnants of Tropical Storm Bill pass directly over the Local 6 area throughout the day today. A Flash Flood WATCH continues for Southern Illinois, SE Missouri, and the Ohio River counties in Western Kentucky through Saturday. Here is a look at today's forecast concerning rainfall totals from the Weather/Hydrological Prediction Center. In any given area, 2-4 inches of rain will be possible. Low-lying areas are most prone to flash flooding. Showers and storms will increase in coverage and intensity during the day on Friday.  Keep preparedness and awareness in mind as heavy rain moves in. Locate areas of higher ground in the event you need to retreat there. Never drive across flooded roadways. Keep children from playing in flood waters. Water depth and swiftness is difficult to determine. Below is the latest Flash Flooding Potential Briefing from the Paducah National Weather Service.