Flash Flooding and Flooding in Missouri, May 1 to 31, 2011

Major flooding that began in April continued along the Mississippi River. At Cape Girardeau, the river crested at 46.28 feet on May 2. This was the fourth highest crest on record, surpassed only by the floods of 1993 and 1995. The activation of the New Madrid Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spared Cape Girardeau County from an even higher crest. With the detonation of the Mississippi River levee at Birds Point, Missouri, the river began to drop. Floodwaters backed up creeks and diversion channels across southern parts of Cape Girardeau County, threatening areas along Highway 74 out to Dutchtown. A combination of Mississippi River backwater and headwater from small tributaries such as the Whitewater River caused problems as far inland as Delta and Allenville. Crews built an emergency levee along Highway 74 near Highway 25 to protect Dutchtown. Highways 74 and 25 were closed. Water rose two to three feet high on the levee. Voluntary evacuations were requested in the Allenville area, where water blocked all roads into town. A couple of houses were flooded in Allenville, where at least one water rescue was conducted. Countywide, more than 30 county roads were closed. The Red Cross opened a shelter for flood victims. In Cape Girardeau, several homes and a couple of businesses were sandbagged in an area known as the Red Star neighborhood. More than 15 streets were closed by flooding in the city on both the north and south sides of town.

Record flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. At the New Madrid river gage, the flood crest of 48.35 feet on the night of May 5 broke the previous record (set in 1937) by a few inches. The levee protecting the city of New Madrid held the water back, but seepwater caused a number of problems. Many city streets were damaged in New Madrid, including the formation of sinkholes once the water receded. One home was damaged by the seepwater, with water about an inch deep. Some basements were flooded with seepwater. Outside the levee system, the sewer treatment plant for New Madrid was in danger of being flooded. Floodfighting efforts were effective in saving the plant. Interstate 55 was reduced to one lane in both directions at the St. Johns Bayou due to sandbagging operations.

Major flooding continued from April along the Mississippi River. Several roads were closed, including Highway E near Menfro. Most of the other roads were rural county roads. A main railway was closed due to water over the tracks.

Major flooding continued from April on the Mississippi River. At the Thebes, Illinois river gage, the flood crest of 45.52 feet on the night of May 2 was the second highest crest on record. The record crest was 45.91 feet in May of 1995. The activation of the New Madrid Floodway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spared the county from an even higher crest. With the detonation of the Mississippi River levee at Birds Point, Missouri, the river dropped suddenly. A combination of Mississippi River backwater and headwaters from the Whitewater River caused flooding as far inland as Chaffee. In Chaffee, a nursing home was sandbagged after its parking lot flooded. Many homes and other structures along Highway 77 were surrounded by water. At least one street was closed in Chaffee. In an area around Sikeston, sixty homes were threatened by backwater from the St. Johns Bayou. Many school districts were closed. U.S. Highway 62 was closed east of Interstate 55. A couple dozen homes were threatened in Commerce, causing a partial evacuation of the town. The breach of a private agricultural levee flooded thousands of acres of farmland and flooded even more of Commerce. A large portion of Route EE was closed.

Historic flooding continued along the Mississippi River from April. Levees protected large parts of the county until the evening of May 2, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers detonated the levee at Birds Point. The levee was opened as part of the activation of the New Madrid Floodway. The floodway was opened to relieve pressure on levees along the lower Ohio River and parts of the Mississippi River. Much of the floodway land is located in Mississippi County. Flooding caused by the intentional levee breaks is detailed in a flash flood entry located elsewhere in this report. The communities of East Prairie and Anniston were threatened by extensive backwater flooding. Widespread street flooding occurred in both communities. Large pumps kept water levels manageable in both cities.

Moderate flooding continued from April on the St. Francis River. At the Patterson river gage, the river crested at 30.94 feet on the evening of May 2. This was the fifth highest flood crest on record, only an inch below the May, 2002 flood crest. Flooding was much more severe downriver near Greenville due to flooding of Lake Wappapello, which was formed by a dam on the St. Francis River. A storage facility and a restaurant in Greenville were flooded. County schools were closed for days due to numerous road closures. Residents in Greenville built a dirt levee across old U.S. Highway 67 to protect the town from flooding of the lake. The backwater from the lake reached all of the streets leading into town, effectively isolating the town. Floodwaters reached the girders of the four-lane bridge on U.S. Highway 67 south of Greenville. Lake Wappapello reached its highest level on record. A temporary dike three feet high was constructed of sandbags at Wappapello Dam's spillway in an attempt to control overtopping. The dike was eventually overtopped, and an uncontrolled release of water washed out Highway T. Lake levels impinged on sections of U.S. Highway 67 and State Route 34. State Route 34 was sandbagged east of Patterson in an attempt to keep it open, but Route 34 was closed between Highways 67 and 143. Up to four feet of water covered the road. The northbound lanes of U.S. 67 were closed for 1.5 miles near Otter Creek. Officials detoured northbound traffic into one southbound lane.

Major flooding continued on the St. Francis River from April. At the Fisk river gage, the river crested at 27.10 feet on the evening of May 3. This was the second highest crest on record, exceeded only by a crest of 28.00 feet in April of 1927. The river came within inches of overtopping a levee on the left bank. Much of Fisk was evacuated. At least one house was inaccessible by vehicle because of floodwaters.

Major flooding continued on the St. Francis River from April. At the Fisk river gage, the river crested at 27.10 feet on the evening of May 3. This was the second highest crest on record, exceeded only by a crest of 28.00 feet in April of 1927. The river came within inches of overtopping a levee on the left bank. Extensive flooding occurred on the Stoddard County side of the river. The Moccasin Flats area was completely submerged, forcing residents to evacuate by boat. Voluntary evacuations were conducted across the western quarter of the county, including the Puxico, Dudley, and Powe areas. All residents in the Powe area evacuated. Red Cross shelters were opened around the area. The eastbound exit ramp from U.S. Highway 60 to Highway 51 was flooded. Floodwaters endangered the eastbound lanes of Highway 60. Damage to county roads near the river was extensive. Three bridges were washed out. State Highway 51 was closed from County Road 279 to the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.

The record high level of Lake Wappapello exceeded the height of the emergency spillway at Wappapello Dam. The uncontrolled flow of water over the spillway berm washed out a 400-foot section of Highway T, taking out millions of dollars of communications infrastructure. County Road 404 was washed out. At least two homes along County Road 404 were inundated with at least a foot of water and were accessible only by boat. Five homes were directly affected by the spillway breach.

Minor flooding occurred on the Current River. At the Doniphan river gage, the river crested at 17.82 feet on May 2. Some low-lying fields and woodlands near the river were flooded.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated the New Madrid Floodway by detonating a levee at Birds Point. The intentional levee breach relieved pressure on levees along the lower Ohio River and portions of the Mississippi River. The blast that opened the 11,000-foot gap in the levee shattered windows in Mississippi County and rattled windows as far away as Paducah, Kentucky. The flash flood caused by the levee breach was anticipated for days, and evacuations had been completed beforehand. Over 130,000 acres of prime farmland were submerged. About 100 homes were flooded, forcing the evacuation of 300 residents. The tiny community of Pinhook was inundated, and no decision had been made by residents on whether to rebuild the community. A primary national insurer estimated private property losses were around 100 million dollars within the floodway. Mississippi County officials estimated the cost to repair public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and ditches was nearly 75 million dollars. The westward extent of the flash flood was limited by a second set of levees (called setback levees) designed to channel the water back toward the Mississippi River. The floodway remained submerged for the remainder of the month.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers activated the New Madrid Floodway by detonating a levee at Birds Point in Mississippi County. The intentional levee breach relieved pressure on levees along the lower Ohio River and portions of the Mississippi River. The blast that opened the levee shattered windows in Mississippi County and rattled windows as far away as Paducah, Kentucky. The flash flood caused by the levee breach was anticipated for days, and evacuations had been completed beforehand. Over 130,000 acres of prime farmland were submerged. Dozens of homes were flooded. A primary national insurer estimated property losses were around 100 million dollars within the floodway. The westward extent of the flash flood was limited by a second set of levees designed to channel the water back toward the Mississippi River. The floodway remained submerged for the remainder of the month.

Moderate flooding occurred on the Black River. At the Poplar Bluff river gage, the river crested at 20.21 feet on May 3. Water overflowing levees that were damaged in April kept the crest from being higher. On Highway 53 southeast of Poplar Bluff, the National Guard rescued an elderly woman from chest-deep water after she drove into a flooded stretch of road. The highway was closed at the time. Some low-lying woods and fields near the river were flooded.