Boone County officials watching potential for flash flooding

Boone County emergency officials say they will be ready to respond throughout the weekend in case of flash flooding.

Office of Emergency Management Director Tom Hurley said teams will monitor the conditions of roads as rain is expected to fall Friday night and Saturday. The wet ground will increase the risk of flash flooding, Hurley said, but waterways in the county have room to handle the rainfall.

“With rain, it starts quickly and ends quickly. And given the saturation of the ground, absorption will be at a much slower rate,” Hurley said.

Boone County Road & Bridge workers have preplaced “Road Closed” signs on the sides of roads prone to flooding, such as Gillespie Bridge Road west of Columbia and Blackfoot Road north of the city.

While the Missouri River continues minor flooding in mid-Missouri, Hurley said his team will closely watch how towns like Glasgow and Jefferson City are affected by the incoming rain. That will help determine what kind of response is necessary in Boone County.