By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Southern Buchanan County remains vulnerable to flooding, even as the Missouri River level has dropped, because March flooding broke through a levee protecting the area.
Buchanan County Presiding Commissioner Lee Sawyer says floodwaters have receded after the second round of flooding in late May, yet the broken levee system makes the area prone to flooding even though the level of the Missouri has dropped.
“Even at 22, 23 feet, right in there is where that very southwest portion of Buchanan County down in Lewis and Clark Village and down in that area, which effects (Highway) 59 obviously, that’s a struggle at the height, because of what happened with the levees back in March,” Sawyer tells the KFEQ Hotline during a guest appearance.
The level of the Missouri River has been dropping, yet remains in moderate flood stage. The National Weather Service reports the river dropped to 22.5 feet early Tuesday afternoon. It is expected to edge up to 22.8 feet early Thursday evening, before dropping again.
The Missouri River reached a record height of 32.12 feet on March 22nd, surpassing the record high level set during the 1993 flood.
Sawyer says it will take some time to fully assess the damage flooding has done to the county, especially southern Buchanan County, around the Lewis and Clark Village area. He says residents of southern Buchanan County have been battered twice now by flooding, adding many have responded with help as floodwaters remain high.
“It’s been a great team effort. When you talk about churches and Red Cross, and other people have helped, but it’s a really tough situation,” Sawyer says. “Now, with those levees that have been breached, we’re just sitting in a vulnerable position down in that area.”
Sawyer says the county was assessing the damage in wake of the March floods when it flooded again in late May. He says federal disaster assistance will help, but it might take as much as two years before the money is released to the county.