Update on Flooding

A weekend storm had lead to lots of flooding in the area around St. Louis.  In Hillsboro, water flowed through the emergency spillway on Glenn Shoals Lake.  That would be termed a 100 year flood, better categorized as a flood that has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year.

Our family farm is located in the floodplain of the Mississippi River south of St. Louis.  Flood forecasts yesterday were predicting a 44.9 reading on the St. Louis gauge.  In our area the levees will overtop with around a 49 foot level.  With more rain in the forecast, it seemed prudent to begin moving some machinery from the farm.  Lots of people were hauling grain as fast as possible with hired trucks running in addition the local farmer's trucks.  We also saw farm machinery being moved. We also saw trailers being loaded with household goods.   We do not believe that the flood levels will reach the 1993 record level, but you can't wait and see and them try to move everything in a panic.  Our friends in the West Alton and Portage DesSioux area in Missouri were already put out of their homes by the levee there overtopping.  Right now the forecast looks good for my home farm, but more rain could be a problem.  Flooding on tributaries might reach records, but it looks like the big rivers will not reach record levels from this rainfall event.

Internal Water Protected Side of Levee 

Mississippi River at the mouth of Carr Creek