MoDOT prepares for a new round of rising floodwaters
The Missouri Department of Transportation is preparing for a new round of rising floodwaters in mid-Missouri.
The Missouri River in Jefferson City is expected to rise into a major flood stage and crest at 30 feet on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The department began assessing roads damaged by floodwaters last week.
MoDOT District Maintenance Engineer Jason Shafer said the department has shifted from clean-up mode back into response mode as floodwaters are expected to return to some areas.
He said MoDOT is monitoring areas prone to flooding at a river level of 30 feet.
“It’s getting right to the top of some of the levees in Jefferson City area,” he said.
Shafer said due to levee breaches, this round of flooding might be different from the flooding seen in early June, when the river crested at more than 34 feet in Jefferson City.
“Suddenly, where a levee had been, we don’t have one,” he said. “So it’s going to be a little bit of a different scenario.”
The timeline for when floodwaters will fully recede is unknown.
“Some of the longrange forecasts that I’ve seen are for flood stages up through November,” he said.
