By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

It has been wet, abnormally wet.

Heavy rain has worsened flooding throughout the area the last two weeks, wreaking havoc with efforts to recover from mid-March flooding.

Reservoir Regulation Team Lead, Kevin Grode, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says some areas of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas have received four-to-six times their normal amount of precipitation.

“What does that mean, four to six times normal? When we look at the observed precipitation in western South Dakota, we’re seeing areas of six to eight inches of rain; same thing in Nebraska. As we look in Kansas and Missouri, we’re seeing areas of 10 to 15 inches of rain that have occurred in the last two weeks,” Grode tells participants in a recent Army Corps of Engineers’ conference call.

Grode says in May, the basin had 7 ½ million acre feet of runoff over 29 days.

“To give you some historical context of what that means, 7 ½ million acre feet. The record is 9.2 million that occurred in 2011. The second highest before 2019, was 1995 of 7.2 million,” according to Grode.

Grode says the huge runoff in May came on the heels of two high runoff months in March and April.

Grode says it’s hard to exaggerate how wet it has been in March, April, and May.

“In those three months of March, April, and May, we’ve already seen 26.3 million acre feet,” Grode says. “We normally see about 25 million acre feet in an average year. So, in the three months, these preceding three months, we’ve already seen a year’s worth of runoff in the upper basin.”

The Corps says the situation has caused it to increase water releases from Gavins Point Dam far above the usual releases of this time of year. The Corps increased water releases to 75,000 cubic feet per second over the weekend. Normally, releases this time of year as around 30,000 cfs.

JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. —The weekend flooding event in eastern Jackson County, Missouri reached historic levels. The Sheriff’s Office along with multiple emergency services personnel responded and assisted the citizens of Levasy, Missouri.

Flood waters increased significantly after a second levee breached Saturday afternoon. Overnight flood waters reached 24 Highway, according to the sheriff’s department.

The highway was impassable in both directions Sunday afternoon. It is estimated that flood waters impacted 4.5 miles, approximately 2800 acres.

Citizens of Levasy can contact the Red Cross at:
The United Methodist
109 S Hudson St
Buckner, MO 64016

“As we continue to access the areas impacted by the flood, we encourage the public not to come into the flood area. High water can cause significant damage to vehicles, and create a water rescue situation. Please use alternate routes to get around flooded areas. The Sheriff’s Office will remain in the area and will continue to work with other agencies to ensure that residents and citizens are safe. The safety of everyone is our priority. We will provide updates as information becomes available,” Sheriff Darryl Forté

JACKSON COUNTY, MO—A levee in eastern Jackson County, Missouri breeched Saturday morning causing parts of the City of Levasy to flood, according to a media release from the sheriff’s office.

Central Jackson County Fire and Protection and Fort Osage Fire conducted water rescues. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is assisting.

No injuries have been reported, according to the sheriff’s department.

Access to the City of Levasy is restricted to residents only who must show proof of residency to enter.

As of 3:30p.m., most of the residents had been evacuated as water levels continue to rise.

The water levels of Levisay,  have never been this high based on statements from residents and other emergency personnel on scene.

The Sheriff’s Office is committed to ensuring the residents of Levasy are safe during this incident. We have allocated resources to monitor this incident over the next 24 hours, according to Sheriff Darryl Forté.

 

 

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

 

A suspect in a car shooting has been killed after he flipped his car fleeing from a state highway patrol trooper, pinning him underneath off Interstate 35 north of Cameron.

Missouri Highway Patrol Troop H spokesman, Sergeant Jake Angle, says the patrol received a call about shots being fired on I-35 at around seven o’clock this morning. An occupant of a vehicle had been struck and suffered what is believed to be non-life-threatening injuries. He was taken to a local hospital.

“The suspect fired into another vehicle, striking another occupant of a different vehicle,” Angle tells St. Joseph Post. “Preliminary indications are that those injuries are non-life-threatening as well. That occupant also was transported to a local area hospital. And then, it was just shortly afterward that our trooper was able to spot the vehicle and initiated the pursuit.”

Angle says the high-speed chase continued on I-35, north of Cameron.

“At approximately the 63 mile marker, the suspect fired shots at the trooper who was in pursuit,” according to Angle. “At that time, our trooper returned fire. At Exit 64, the vehicle went off the right side of the road and overturned and, as a result of that traffic crash, the suspect was found pinned underneath the vehicle.”

Angle says the Daviess County Coroner arrived at the scene and pronounced the suspect dead. An autopsy is being performed.

No troopers were injured during the pursuit.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Floodwaters have seriously eroded the back side of a watershed dam south of Sabetha, leaving it vulnerable to failure.

Kansas state officials are closely watching the dam.

Water Structures Program Manager Terry Medley with the state Division of Water Resources says his team began monitoring the dam Tuesday. He visited the dam site last night. His dam safety team leader is on site today.

“There has been a little bit more erosion on the dam,” Medley tells St. Joseph Post. “The water level in the reservoir has dropped about a foot-and-a-half.”

Medley disputes an earlier report that claimed failure of the dam was imminent. He describes the damage to the dam as serious, but adds its failure is not imminent.

County officials closed two nearby roads, County Road 220 and County Road 250, as a precautionary measure.

“We’re just continuing to monitor the situation,” Medley says. “We don’t believe that anybody is in danger at this point and we don’t believe any serious infrastructure damage would occur if the dam failed.”

The Kansas Division of Water Resources is in communication with the Kansas Division of Emergency Management.

Medley says it is unlikely that if the dam failed, flash flooding would reach Highway 36 in northeast Kansas, also as reported earlier.

Medley says the dam is under close observation.

“It has not breached,” Medley says. “We are still continuing to monitor the situation. There was a little bit more erosion overnight, but nothing that wasn’t expected from our division and our dam safety team. And, the damage that would occur if it did fail would be limited to agricultural farm ground.”

Still, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for south of Sabetha down the Delaware River which could affect east-central Nemaha County, southwestern Brown County, and northeastern Jackson County.

 

 

 

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

A lot is at stake as the Missouri River continues to rise at St. Joseph.

The river is expected to crest today at just over 29 feet, approaching the crest at the height of the 2011 flood. The highest crest was reached earlier this year in March, just over 32 feet, slightly higher than the previous crest reached during the 1993 flood.

State Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer of Parkville, who recently toured the levees protecting St. Joseph with Gov. Mike Parson, says those levees are protecting valuable assets.

“I think the levees are protecting about $2 billion worth of assets,” Luetkemeyer tells St. Joseph Post. “It really goes to show you how important flood control is for the river and one of the things I’ve been very vocal on, both myself and Sen. (Dan) Hegeman, is that the Army Corps of Engineers needs to reprioritize its Master Plan for the river, to make sure that flood control is the number one priority.”

Luetkemeyer says the widespread flooding this year and the devastation it is leaving in its wake, should help the Corps listen perhaps more than it has in the past.

“To me, it’s common sense. Sometimes common sense doesn’t get through in Washington, D.C.,” Luetkemeyer says. “But, I think if enough people speak loud enough with enough voices in unison I’m hopeful that we’re going to get some movement.”

Both in March and in 1993, the Missouri River rose above 32 feet at St. Joseph.

Click here for the National Weather Service website on the Missouri River level at St. Joseph.

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

UPDATE: Click here for the latest on this story. Kansas state officials downplay worries the dam will fail or that failure would cause widespread damage.

A dam south of Sabetha, Kansas is expected to fail this afternoon, sending floodwaters downstream on the Delaware River.

The National Weather Service in Topeka has issued a flash flood warning for southwestern Brown County, east-central Nemaha County, and northeastern Jackson County.

At 2:30 this afternoon, emergency management officials reported the failure of the dam a mile south of Sabehta was imminent.

If the dam indeed fails, flash flooding is expected to overrun U.S. Highway 36 in northeastern Kansas. The Kickapoo Indian Reservation and Golden Eagle Casino are also threatened. The National Weather Service says water could rise to near 13.8 feet at U.S. Highway 36 about an hour after the dam fails. Water could rise to just over 11 feet at U.S. Highway 75 three-and-a-half hours after the failure.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Gov. Mike Parson says Missouri is battling Mother Nature as the state fights flooding from border to border.

Parson, in St. Joseph late Wednesday evening to tour flood damage, says there is virtually no part of the state which hasn’t been affected by flooding.

“You know, it’s just unfortunate right now. It just seems like we can’t get a break with the rain no matter where we’re at and it’s just a problem,” Parson tells St. Joseph Post. “Right now, we’re just trying to hold our own here in Missouri. We’re just fighting every day to try to make sure these levees stay in place and trying to sand bag all over the state right now.”

Missouri is battling the decisions of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well.

Parson says he and fellow governors from Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa met Wednesday with Army Corps of Engineers officials about the current situation. He says all four expressed their concerns about the additional releases from Gavins Point Dam, but also are calling for greater input from the states on how the Corps manages the river.

The Corps this week increased releases from Gavins Point into the Missouri River to 70,000 cubic feet per second and plans to increase it to 75,000 on Saturday. Corps officials say the normal release at this time of year is 30,000 cfs.

Parson says he joined his fellow governors to call on the Corps to listen to the states when devising their Missouri River management plans.

“You know, the thing that I’ve said all along and I stressed again today, that the states need to have a seat at the table,” Parson says. “This is ridiculous when we’re not there when you’re talking about managing for all the states that were there, whether its Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri. For one entity to be managing the river and for the states to not have any input in that or any say in it, I mean a significant say in it, is something that needs to change. We need to be at the table.”

Parson says he reiterated his call for all four states to speak with one voice when discussing their concerns with the Corps of Engineers.

“We had that conversation today up there and I said it again, but here’s what I think, I think we need to develop a system on the Missouri River,” Parson says. “I think we need to recognize it as a system, as a federal system and I think that will help us long-term. Congress can do that and we’re going to be reaching out to our representatives, Congressmen and Senators, to try to see if they would do that. And I think there’s an opportunity maybe to try to get that done.”

After his meeting in Council Bluffs, Parson flew to St. Joseph to tour flood damage throughout the city as well as Buchanan County with state, county, and city officials. Parson says nearly all of Missouri is battling floodwaters.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

The reopening of Interstate 29 in northwest Missouri was short-lived.

The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed I-29 after the Iowa Department of Transportation closed the interstate due to flooding north of the Missouri/Iowa state line.

MoDOT closed I-29 last night after floodwaters washed over U.S. Highway 59 near Mound City and then crept over the interstate. MoDOT reopened I-29 to one lane of traffic after the floodwaters receded.

An hour later, I-DOT reached out to MoDOT to coordinate the closing of the interstate after flooding forced its closing in southwest Iowa.

MoDOT officials say just as it has been with the previous two closures of I-29, traffic is being rerouted at U.S. Route 71 (mile marker 57). Motorists can expect delays and should choose a different route at their earliest possible turn-off point.

I-29 detour information:

• Kansas City area thru traffic – use I-35 to Iowa
• St. Joseph area thru traffic – use U.S. Route 71 north
• Local traffic is able to utilize I-29 to reach their homes and businesses by either going north on U.S. Route 71 and west on U.S. Route 59 or northbound I-229 to northbound I-29.

MoDOT has been posting the latest on flooding in northwest Missouri on a special website. You can access it by clicking here.

MoDOT urges motorists to report any flooded roadway without barricades by calling MoDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service line at 888 ASK MODOT (1-888-275-6636).

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

UPDATE:  I-29 is closed again. See our latest story.

Interstate 29, closed in northwest Missouri due to flooding, has reopened.

The Missouri Department of Transportation closed I-29 last night after floodwaters covered U.S. Route 59 near Mound City and began to wash over I-29. MoDOT worked with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to re-route travelers.

Traffic on I-29 at Highway 59 has been narrowed to one lane.

MoDOT cautions motorists to monitor conditions in the area and not to drive over flooded roadways or around barricades.

Multiple roads in northwest Missouri closed due to flooding overnight. MoDOT has been posting the latest on the impact of the flooding in northwest Missouri on a special website. You can access it by clicking here.

MoDOT urges motorists to report any flooded roadway without barricades by calling MoDOT’s 24-hour Customer Service line at 888 ASK MODOT (1-888-275-6636).