Flash Flood, Reynolds
- When
- December 14, 5:15 AM CST to 7:00 AM CST
- Where
- Reynolds County, Lesterville
- Reported by
- UTILITY COMPANY
- Coordinates
- 37.450, -90.850
On December 14, 2005, between approximately 5:15 - 5:30 a.m. CST, the Upper Reservoir of the AmerenUE Taum Sauk Hydroelectric Plant failed. About 1 billion gallons of water rushed down the side of Proffit Mountain to the East Fork of the Black River which flows through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park. The rush of water destroyed virtually everything in its path leaving nothing but bare bedrock on the mountainside immediately downstream from the break. The Superintendent of Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, his wife and three children were injured when the flood water completely swept away their home which was located on Highway N near the entrance to the park. The three children were taken to a St. Louis hospital in critical condition, but all have recovered. There was nothing left of the home except for a foundation filled with water. A dump truck filled with zinc, a tractor-trailer carrying logs, and a car were swept off Highway N by the water as well. The occupants were not injured.Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park suffered major damage. The park store, a campground, and a playground were filled with trees, rocks and other debris. Hundreds of yards of wooden walkways were damaged. Picnic tables were swept away and a layer of mud covered much of the park. The park is a major recreation area during the spring and summer months. At peak times, there are a couple thousand people in the park. Luckily, there was no one in the park at the time of the flood.The East Fork of the Black River flows through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park to the Lower Taum Sauk Reservoir. The Lower Reservoir held most of the incoming water, with the excess water flowing over the dam spillway. There was minimal damage to the Lower Reservoir. In an interesting side note: the annual dam break exercise for the facility was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CST that day.