Looking back at severe flooding in 2015

Flooding was a major problem for Mid-Missouri twice in 2015: July and December. Heavy rain in July forced Ameren UE to open the floodgates at Bagnell Dam for more than a week. Before then, the gates hadn’t been opened since 2013.

High water at the Lake of the Ozarks also prompted Governor Jay Nixon to issue a “no wake” restriction ahead the Fourth of July holiday, one of the busiest times for the lake. The ban was lifted on Independence Day; such a ban hadn’t been put into effect since 1993.

Heavy rain and high water also prompted Ameren UE to open the Bagnell floodgates again in December, just one day after Christmas. Rain and flooding caused numerous roads around Mid-Missouri to close, including major highways like 63 near Vienna.

The flooding also forced nine families from their homes in Camden County, and damaged dozens of other buildings. Statewide, the flooding caused 14 deaths, many of which happened when people tried to drive through high water on roads.