Torrential Rains Overwhelm Levees

Forecasters Predict More Rain On The Way As Soldiers And Firefighters Struggle In Missouri

(AP)  Torrential rains flooded parts of Missouri as weary soldiers and firefighters struggled to reinforce levees and avoid further damage in a region taxed by days of flooding and storms that have killed two dozen people in the Midwest.

Forecasters were nervous about storms expected to hit northeast Missouri and central Iowa on Wednesday and Thursday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Fuchs.

"It'll keep water in the system. That's for sure," Fuchs said. "That could turn the river around. That could lead to higher crests."

Some roads were flooded in the northern and western parts of Missouri. Six homes were evacuated in Linn County, about 100 miles from the Mississippi River, emergency director Jamie Stallo said.

Stallo said no injuries were reported, and the floodwaters were beginning to recede Wednesday morning.

Flooding in the American Midwest in the last couple of weeks has killed 24 people, driven tens of thousands from their homes and caused billions of dollars in damage.

On Tuesday, the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin asked President George W. Bush to allow the federal government to cover 90 percent of disaster-related costs incurred by state and local governments. The federal government usually covers 75 percent of such costs after the president declares a disaster.

"Our states have suffered recent multiple disasters that have placed enormous stress on state and local governments," said Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle in a statement. "Reducing our share of the flooding assistance costs would greatly alleviate the social and economic impact on our families and communities that are suffering."

Illinois got good news Tuesday when Bush declared 13 counties federal disaster areas. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has declared 24 counties along the Mississippi, in southeastern and northern Illinois, state disaster areas.

Meanwhile, an earthen levee was all that was still protecting 100 houses, a city park, several businesses and 3,000 acres of agricultural land in east Winfield, one of the last towns in eastern Missouri where the upper Mississippi was expected to crest.

Only National Guard soldiers and firefighters in life vests were allowed to stack sandbags, because volunteers and heavy equipment could sink. A single muskrat recently created a geyser of river water by digging into the berm.

For days, emergency management officials in Lincoln County have focused on the levee about 45 miles northwest of St. Louis. A storm with thunder and lightning Tuesday was only the latest impediment to the desperate attempts to shore up the Pin Oak levee.

"This storm is not a good thing," said Jeff Stamper, a structural engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "It pulled everyone off. You can work on a levee in the rain, but not in lightning."

The Mississippi was expected to finally crest at Winfield sometime late Wednesday, and to flow at its high-water mark - more than 11 feet above flood stage - for several more days. A disturbance as minor as a passing boat could lead to disaster.

A total of 35 levees have overtopped during the Midwest flooding, and seven of them had been federally designed and constructed, said Ed Hecker, chief of the office of homeland security for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said the nation's levee system wasn't designed to hold back such extraordinarily high flood waters, particularly in rural communities.

"This system pretty much performed as designed," Hecker said.

The river continued to recede Tuesday from the Iowa line down through the lock and dam at Saverton, about 90 miles north of St. Louis. The river had dropped a foot Tuesday morning at Canton following a Sunday crest of 13 feet above flood stage.

Pending further rains, the weather service said the river wouldn't begin to recede at St. Louis - where there is flooding, but none significant - until Thursday night. Forecasters said the last point on the river to finish cresting would be near Chester, Illinois, about 80 miles south of St. Louis, sometime Friday.

[downsteamjim]

To wolfear: Well said.

[wolfear1]

Jboxton, you have to understand the topography of the area. The reason why the midwest tends to have floods (not every year) is due to the fact that much of it is flat flood plain. Which because itis a flood plain gets sediment deposits from the flooding therefore making it lush farmland. This is similar to the land in Columbia that is made super rich from volcanic ash. Greatest place to grow coffee and it is incredibly lush farmland but you have those pesky volcanic eruptions every so often. Also if people didn''t live here and work the land a large part of the world (US included) would starve. So say what you will about the people here but I have found them to be very industrious and hard working. They are both proud and intelligent. You really should open your mind and take a vacation in this area sometime. You would be pleasantly surprised by what you will find here.

[jboxton]

wolfear1:
No I live in the northeast so we have bad weather also. Difference is we are educated and can deal with it. We aren''t devastated every time it rains. Those people are uneducated and still believe in magic.

[pfanerk]

Does anyone have a good recipe for three-bean salad?

[mm334]

Wolfear1: thanks for the update and you are right

[wolfear1]

Just curious jboxton, what part of the coutry do you live in. I mean since it has utopian weather and no issues like snowstorms or earthquakes I am just wondering.

[jboxton]

BRING ON THE RAIN!! I LOVE IT! Stupid midwesterners are hit with this EVERY YEAR and they keep getting caught off guard? Do they lack the intelligence to detect patterns or are they just busy huntin'' and a fishin'' to worry about it until it happens?

[wolfear1]

How come celebrities aren''''t flocking to Iowa''''s rescue? Why isn''''t the media pounding the Iowa flood on the news to get aid to the helpless people? Why isn''''t FEMA taking trailer houses, food, water and other items to the people in Iowa?
Posted by cornbiker at 02:21 PM : Jun 25, 2008
____________________________________________________
Man are you always this much of a whiney b*^ch? I live in Iowa and guess what? FEMA is here handing out water and food. As for trailers; I think they kinid of learned their lesson w/ katrina and are putting people up here in the state in hotels and other places for free while they need it. Keep in mind most of the areas affected are rural and have low population centers so it is more efficient to do it that way. As for celebrities, Farm Aid will be done this year primarily for the flood victims here in Iowa and in MO. I you are going to be a racist at least be a well informed racist.

[credibility2]

The government has routinely discounted the importance of proper maintenance for all levees on a routine basis. I''m sure cutbacks in money and staff are to blame.