May 12, 2007
Fulton, Missouri
Photographer states :: Missouri River Flood of 2007 - Picture taken from the MO River Bridge at Jefferson City near time of flood crest
I don't want to hear the complaints, I don't want to wipe anymore tears. I don't want to worry more than necessary. Everyone wears life vests if necessary. Those that oversaw the well being of those along the Missouri River so far have done a superior job at having the public respond to predicted concerns. I think it's great. With a public that is alert to the dangers they face in this very unpredictable climate season there is a far, far higher sense of awareness. When the public knows what they are worried about, they will learn to 'trust' those that want their safety above anything else. I think it's a great job the weather/river predictors did otherwise I might not be looking at this photographer's picture. Nice. Very, very nice.
None of these events are minor. Everyone needs a huge pat on the back. I thank everyone involved that made awareness to this level of margin possible. Super job. This mess will move downstream and other rivers will rise. The center of the country is still under ominous skies. Knowing how well this went is to understand that more rain will bring the potential for higher river banks. I am sorry, but, the work is not over yet. Vigilance and people that can make friends of the public and have them as friends to keep their interest and safety at the forefront of concern will make life pleasant for all predictors. Has any predictor ever felt more of a purpose? At one time 'the funny weather person' was the amusing uplift of any forecast. It's not going to be 'that' for some time to come. Any predictor will be a family friend enhancing people's brevity to safety and planning. Good luck. So far, so good.
Associated Press
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri River neared its highest point in Missouri's capital city Saturday, and forecasters said it wasn't nearly as bad as feared a few days earlier.
The river reached about 29 feet Saturday morning, about 6 feet above flood stage. That was high enough to flood stretches of the Katy Trail and to cover some low-lying roads and nearly 1,400 acres of farmland.
But it was not as dire as previous predictions of a 34-foot peak that could have wiped out many farmers' crops and inundated the Jefferson City Airport.
Saturday, it was business as usual at the airport, though there was a sign tacked to a door advising those returning rental cars to go elsewhere because of the anticipated flood.
In north-central Missouri, Chariton County's emergency coordinator reported a major break in a levee Friday near Triplett.
The coordinator, Brad Morrison, told a state emergency briefing that up to a 100-foot section of levee blew out, and people were sandbagging the gap through the night and continuing on Saturday. Some farmland was flooded, but no one was hurt, and there aren't many homes in the region, he said.
Floodwaters kept U.S. 24 west of Brunswick closed, but U.S. 65 was reopening as waters had receded Saturday, state officials said.
Near Sumner, the Grand River rose to near 40 feet but had fallen slightly by Saturday morning and should keep dropping, the weather service said. Still, it was not expected to fall below flood stage of 26 feet until Tuesday.
"They're getting some impact to the homes," National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs said. "They may be escaping the worst of it."
In 1993 the river at Sumner reached 42.5 feet, but nearly 40 feet marks the second-highest level going back at least 60 years, the weather service said.
Fuchs, in St. Louis, said levee breaks in the western part of the state earlier this week relieved the pressure and the height of the water as the river peak moved eastward.
"The bigger effects do not look like they're going to happen," Fuchs said. "Overall, this is a decent little flood but not anything to get real excited about. We're looking at largely minor inconveniences throughout the Missouri River east of Jefferson City."
The river was expected to peak in St. Charles on Monday at 29.6 feet. The river could start topping some levees at 34 feet, Fuchs said.
During the 1993 flood, the river reached about 40 feet.
In Jefferson City, Dennis Heckman and his family came to a lookout point, which had a steady stream of visitors, to check out the river on a clear and sunny afternoon.
Heckman also lived there in 1993 and said the levee breaks upriver and the buyouts of low-lying homes made a big difference this time around.
"They learned their lessons," said Heckman, a hydrologic engineer for the state Transportation Department. "Water's going to a lot of the same places, but it's not doing hardly any damage because the houses are all gone."
The biggest effect on his family was having weekend soccer games canceled.
Later Saturday, Gov. Matt Blunt planned to tour mid-Missouri by helicopter to survey flood damage, the second time in a week he has flown around to assess the impact of swollen rivers and streams.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri River neared its highest point in Missouri's capital city Saturday, and forecasters said it wasn't nearly as bad as feared a few days earlier.
The river reached about 29 feet Saturday morning, about 6 feet above flood stage. That was high enough to flood stretches of the Katy Trail and to cover some low-lying roads and nearly 1,400 acres of farmland.
But it was not as dire as previous predictions of a 34-foot peak that could have wiped out many farmers' crops and inundated the Jefferson City Airport.
Saturday, it was business as usual at the airport, though there was a sign tacked to a door advising those returning rental cars to go elsewhere because of the anticipated flood.
In north-central Missouri, Chariton County's emergency coordinator reported a major break in a levee Friday near Triplett.
The coordinator, Brad Morrison, told a state emergency briefing that up to a 100-foot section of levee blew out, and people were sandbagging the gap through the night and continuing on Saturday. Some farmland was flooded, but no one was hurt, and there aren't many homes in the region, he said.
Floodwaters kept U.S. 24 west of Brunswick closed, but U.S. 65 was reopening as waters had receded Saturday, state officials said.
Near Sumner, the Grand River rose to near 40 feet but had fallen slightly by Saturday morning and should keep dropping, the weather service said. Still, it was not expected to fall below flood stage of 26 feet until Tuesday.
"They're getting some impact to the homes," National Weather Service hydrologist Mark Fuchs said. "They may be escaping the worst of it."
In 1993 the river at Sumner reached 42.5 feet, but nearly 40 feet marks the second-highest level going back at least 60 years, the weather service said.
Fuchs, in St. Louis, said levee breaks in the western part of the state earlier this week relieved the pressure and the height of the water as the river peak moved eastward.
"The bigger effects do not look like they're going to happen," Fuchs said. "Overall, this is a decent little flood but not anything to get real excited about. We're looking at largely minor inconveniences throughout the Missouri River east of Jefferson City."
The river was expected to peak in St. Charles on Monday at 29.6 feet. The river could start topping some levees at 34 feet, Fuchs said.
During the 1993 flood, the river reached about 40 feet.
In Jefferson City, Dennis Heckman and his family came to a lookout point, which had a steady stream of visitors, to check out the river on a clear and sunny afternoon.
Heckman also lived there in 1993 and said the levee breaks upriver and the buyouts of low-lying homes made a big difference this time around.
"They learned their lessons," said Heckman, a hydrologic engineer for the state Transportation Department. "Water's going to a lot of the same places, but it's not doing hardly any damage because the houses are all gone."
The biggest effect on his family was having weekend soccer games canceled.
Later Saturday, Gov. Matt Blunt planned to tour mid-Missouri by helicopter to survey flood damage, the second time in a week he has flown around to assess the impact of swollen rivers and streams.
