Northwest Missouri grapples with possible record flood
Floodwaters have covered parts of some cities in northwest Missouri.
St. Joseph could see record levels of flooding. In 1993, the Missouri River in St. Joseph reached 32.1 feet . The levels could rise above that Friday.
The city of St. Joseph and Buchanan County issued a mandatory evacuation for some areas of the city near the levees. The levees so far are holding up better than in the 1993 flood, officials said Friday.
” So we’re at the level we’ve never reached in St. Joseph before in terms of extended river stage without a failure, which is great, ” said Andy Clements with St. Joseph Public Works and Transportation.
Police went door-to-door to make people aware of the evacuation.
Officials with Public Works and the Missouri Air National Guard laid sandbags on the levees.
Clements said public works laid between 600 and 800 feet of sandbags.
The water levels Friday were already higher than when they flowed over the levees in 1993.
” In 1993, officially, the river reached 32.1. But the airport and levee district started overtopping at 31 and 1/2 ” Clements said.
Water from the river started making its way into the city Friday, crossing roads and train tracks.
One St. Joseph resident compared the flooding to that he saw in 1993.
He scrolled through photos on his phone of the current floodwater levels rising gradually.
Phil Smith said officials have been doing an efficient job updating people on the conditions.
“They’re keeping people well-informed. They’ve been on top of this from the very beginning. And from what I’ve seen, compared to ’93, I think they are a lot more prepared, ” Smith said. “Any time you turn on the radio, turn on the TV set, they’re informing you, ‘Hey, don’t go past this barrier, don’t go down this street.’ I think they’re doing a really good job. ”
Crews will continue to monitor the changing conditions of the river.
Some places farther south could see the effects of the major flooding from these areas as the water begins to move down the river.
