Jefferson City still trying to repair damaged levee

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Months after floods affected large areas of Missouri, work is still being done to repair the damage left behind.

Jefferson City Public Works spokesman Britt Smith said the city recently submitted paperwork to the Army Corps of Engineers to start repairs at the Capitol View Levee. The paperwork contains access rights for nearby private property and easements to allow the corps to begin the repairs.

Smith wanted to start the repair work before spring. Forecasts show higher than normal precipitation this winter could lead to another flooding event in 2020.

Smith said he hopes the work will begin soon.

"It is my hope and my prayer that we have the levee repaired and that the river levels aren't as high," Smith said.

When asked about a recent preliminary report from a state flood advisory group, Smith said the report was a step in the right direction.

"The rivers are an important aspect of life in Missouri," Smith said. "We need to do more than simply repair the damage, instead of just repairing our levees, we should work on improving them."

The same report outlines ways the state government, the corps and federal partners can work together to avoid another flooding disaster in 2020. Members of the Flood Recovery Advisory Working Group will continue meeting throughout the year to work on the report. The group's final report is expected to be submitted to Gov. Mike Parson on May 31.

The deadline for levee managers to apply for federal assistance and flood damage-control projects is Jan. 15. Army Corps members said the flooding event from 2019 officially ended Dec. 16. In that amount of time, 94 levees requested damage assistance.