It’s anything but business as usual in Forest City, Missouri, where residents and businesses are keeping a nervous eye on rising floodwaters west of town.

Rich Mendenhall, the plant manager for the Sur-Gro Plant Food Company says he’s taking no chances.  Mendenhall says flooding hasn’t reached the town itself, but he’s packing up fertilizer and equipment and moving it to higher ground in Oregon, Missouri.

“There nothing different in Forest City yet,” Mendenhall says, “but just west of town about a half mile, on the west side of Kimsey Creek, there’s far more water than there was last night.”

“We’ve got a building over in Oregon we bought about three and a half years ago.  It’s got some dry fertilizer storage, so we’re moving it over to that building.”

Mendenhall says they’re actually seeing a little more traffic that usual, mostly from out of town visitors or volunteers.  He says some businesses are benefiting from the extra traffic.

Tim Slagle, the owner of the Dawg House Bar and Grill agrees.

“It’s actually picked up some, with all the extra people that’ve been in town, that have been helping with sandbagging and that have been sightseeing,” Slagle said.

Slagle says when he saw railroad crews removing their signal equipment from a crossing near his house, he decided to move his family out.  But he’s holding firm for now at the bar, which is about four blocks away and on higher ground.

“…I think my house is in more danger than the bar at the moment, but it’s every day.  About every hour of every day we’re keeping an eye on where the water’s at.”