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

essay writing service australia said…
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
September 9, 2017 at 5:49 AM

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
46 comments
Read more

Longer Allergy Seasons

The National Phenology Network is showing the early arrival of leaves on trees in the Ohio Valley, the Midwest, and Western United States this year. This trend has become more of a norm over the past past 50 years.   Climate Central published data this week showing the same trend since 1970 with notable attention to the West where states are seeing as many as 17 more frost-free days, extending the growing season. Here in the Local 6 area, the growth is not as notable but still averaging between 4-9 days additional to the growing season. Why does this matter? Aside from having an influence on which plants are suitable for planting zones, it has a much higher societal impact by extending the allergy season.  "As the climate warms from the increase of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the last spring freeze is trending earlier and the first fall freeze is coming later. This means the growing season is getting longer, and so is the pollen season— whether it i...
4 comments
Read more

Updates on Upcoming Winter Weather Events

Sunday Morning Update: A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for much of the WPSD Local 6 area with a handful of counties just reaching Winter Storm criteria. Here is the latest map. They are in effect until early Monday. Snowfall totals have not changed much from last nights posting and I really feel this will still just be a road impact for Monday morning. Here is the projected snowfall total map: Sorry, TN. Looks like another near miss on the snow for you. :( Saturday Night Update: A Winter Storm Watch has been issued by the Paducah National Weather Service for most of the WPSD Local 6 area. Portions of NW TN and MO Bootheel have been placed under a Winter Weather Advisory all for winters weather on Sunday as colder air begins to arrive.   Rain will switch over to freezing rain, sleet, and snow during the day on Sunday eventually leading to accumulations in the watch/advisory areas. Initially any frozen precip will melt thanks to Saturday's mild temps and warmer pavement surfac...
4 comments
Read more