Flood of 2019 officially over, danger could still be looming

On Monday, December 16th, the Kansas City Levee District called the official end to the flood of 2019. This after flood operations began on March 13th. The 279 day stretch is the longest flooding event the organization has operated.

Even with the flood officially over, river forecasters remain concerned. This is when you take into consideration forecasts for above average precipitation across a majority of the upper Missouri River Basin this winter.

I analyzed precipitation from October 1st until December 17th across the upper Midwest. So far, the forecasts for above average precipitation in the northern plains has been spot on. The hot spots have been across the central Dakotas where precipitation values are 200-300% of normal.

The James River, a major tributary of the Missouri River remains in major floods stage across central South Dakota.

It's impossible to know the exact impacts we could face here in mid-Missouri come next spring/summer. However, ingredients are coming together for another year of elevated river levels. This is as levees remain in disrepair across much of mid-Missouri, with completion of repairs not expected until 2021. Another flood would delay repair of these levees, and potentially increase impacts we see considering current levee conditions.

It's something the ABC 17 Stormtrack Weather Team will closely monitor over the next several months.

-Luke