The St Joseph Fire Department responded in force to a fire in the 2600 block of Lafayette Street Saturday night. A half dozen units, including a ladder truck, were dispatched for the firefighting effort.
The fire caused at least $40,000 damage to two structures. Inspectors say they found no evidence of fireworks at the fire scene.
The photographs below are courtesy of Susanne Mrkvicka.
More than 50 Missouri National Guard Soldiers worked to
save the Oregon Water Treatment Plant in Forest City recently.
The Soldiers, from the 1-129th Field Artillery Regiment and 220th Engineer
Company, placed sandbags along a dirt berm in front of the facility to
protect it from rising waters.
“It makes me feel good that we’re out here helping people,” said Spc. Nikolas
Tyra, Battery A, 1-129th. “It’s pretty much why I signed up.”
The plant is crucial to the area’s people, said Sgt. Paul Smith, Battery D,
1-129th.
“The water treatment plant provides clean water for the residents of the
area,” said Smith, of Kansas City. “The people of Forest City will not have
clean water to drink for a while if it floods.”
Smith and several other artillerymen worked in the hot sun with local
volunteers to ensure that does not happen. They had filled up more than 6,500
sandbags in the area.
“It’s hard work, but that’s what we gotta do,” said Smith. “This is what the
National Guard is supposed to be doing.”
The Soldiers received a boost when they were visited by their
commander-in-chief and Missouri’s adjutant general.
Gov. Jay Nixon, who activated the Missouri National Guard to combat the
flooding of the Missouri River, was in Forest City on Monday to assess the
potential for flooding. He and Missouri National Guard adjutant general, Maj.
Gen. Stephen L. Danner dropped in on Citizen-Soldiers who were sandbagging
and thanked them for their dedication and service. Nixon also thanked the
many volunteers on site.
“The citizens of Missouri know they can count on the Missouri National Guard
to provide assistance whenever and wherever a natural disaster occurs — and
so far this year we have had more than our fair share,” Nixon said. “That
strong partnership between local communities and the Guard is key to the
flood fight now going on across our state. From planning to response to
recovery, the National Guard comes prepared to get the job done.”
The Soldiers appreciated the governor’s visit, said Spc. Chris Dickinson, of
Battery D, 1-129th.
“It’s nice that Gov. Nixon is able to come out and see what we’re doing,”
Dickinson, of Marshall. “For him to say ‘thank you,’ it means a lot.”
Danner commended the Citizen-Soldiers for sacrificing time from their
families and jobs.
“The National Guard is a community-based organization,” said Danner.
“Whatever the Guard is doing, it’s always a community effort. These Soldiers
are giving their time to help protect good people from bad things.”
For some Citizen-Soldiers, it is the first time they have been activated for
the state side of the dual National Guard mission. Spc. Dustin Budzene was
excited for the opportunity to serve the state.
“My fiancé hated it because I got real excited about it,” said Budzene with a
laugh. “I told her this is what I signed up for and that it’s better than
sitting around at home.”
Spc. Cody Schmitz and Spc. Bruce Seid, of Battery D, 1-129th, understand that
while they are not necessarily doing what they trained for, which is to
utilize heavy weaponry, their state needs them for an important mission
nonetheless.
“We’ll have our time to use what we train for in the future,” said Schmitz.
“But right now, it’s about helping our state out as best we can.”
Missouri Western’s board of governors has adopted a $48.2 million operating budget for the fiscal year that begins today. That’s a decrease of three-tenths of a percent from the previous budget. It reflects an 8.2 percent cut in Western’s state appropriation and a 5.5 percent increase in tuition. Western’s funding from the state hasdropped approximately $3 million in the last two years. The board also approved an auxiliary operating budget of nearly $12.5 million. The auxiliary budget includes self-supporting operations like residential life, campus dining, recreation services and others.
The Missouri River continues a slow fall from this week’s crest. In Saint Joseph this morning the river measured 29.11 feet at 6:30 am, down almost a foot from the crest Tuesday night. Forecasters say the level will continue to drop another foot by Tuesday night.
At Rulo, the river as dropped beneath 26 feet to 25.8 at 6:30 this morning. That’s down a foot and a quarter from the record crest of 27.26 on Monday. The forecast is for the river to fall to 25.6 feet by Tuesday night.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback and Senator Pat Roberts will look at flood preparations in Elwood and Atchison today. They’ll lead a meeting of local, state, and Corps of Engineers officials at the Elwood Emergency Operations Center this afternoon at 1:45. They’ll hold a similar session at the MGP office in Atchison at 3:20. Joining the Governor and Senator on the tour will be National Guard, Emergency Management, Congressional staff, and Corps of Engineers officials.
President Barack Obama on Thursday declared an emergency in the State of Missouri and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local flood fights. The president’s action authorizes federal agencies to help coordinate relief efforts and provide assistance for emergency measures.
The declaration includes the following counties: Andrew, Atchison, Boone, Buchanan, Callaway, Carroll, Chariton, Clark, Clay, Cole, Cooper, Franklin, Gasconade, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Lafayette, Lewis, Moniteau, Montgomery, Osage, Platte, Ray, Saline, St. Charles, St. Louis, and Warren and the Independent City of St. Louis.
Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.
W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Elizabeth Turner as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.
Due to the higher Missouri River levels creating flooding along MacArthur Drive, the City of St. Joseph’s fireworks display has been relocated.
The new location is in the vicinity of Northside Complex. The best viewing areas will be Northside Complex and Krug Park, however, city officials say most of the north side of the city will provide good viewing.
The fireworks display will be held Monday, July 4, and will begin just after dark.
As the people of Holt County continue to fight flood waters near towns in the western side of the county, the county budget is taking a strain after four floods in the last five years.
They started this year with the lowest cash-balance County Clerk Kathy Kunkel has seen since she was elected.
“We are really behind the eight ball on this,” Kunkel said.
Listen to Thursday’s KFEQ Journal with Kathy Kunkel by clicking play below.
[audio:http://www.stjosephpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KFEQ-Journal-with-Kathy-Kunkel.mp3|titles=KFEQ Journal with Kathy Kunkel]
Last years flooding was historic, as was 1993, but Kunkel fears this years flood is the worst. Waters continue to soak Big Lake and creep up on several other communities. Big Lake has more than eight feet of water in some places, maybe more, Kunkel said.
Many buildings and homes will likely need to be bulldozed in and rebuilt. That is, if the people decide to come back.
County officials are hoping for state and federal assistance to help fight the flood, and rebuild once the waters recede sometime this fall.
“It’s absoluty the only lifeline we have left,” Kunkel said.
The county has several blows to it’s economy from the flooding. More than 160,000 acre’s of farmland are underwater, Big Lake State Park and the Big Lake Village are closed leaving a budget gap from tourism and the Interstate north of Holt County is closed.
“There is no summer traffic what so ever,” Kunkel said. “So all of my sales tax is going away at the same time.”
Above all, there’s one thing Kunkel said Holt County needs now more than anything.
“Prayers,” she laughed. “Send them our way.”
Water covering 32 river miles, eleven miles wide at its widest, 165,000 acres or 125,000 football fields. This is Holt County.
In a situation report June 29th, Holt County Clerk Kathy Kunkle tells us there is floodwater from bluff to bluff throughout a large part of the basin, from northwest of Corning to the mouth of Kimsey Creek southwest of Forest City. The water covers 165,000 acres and is eleven miles wide at its widest point. They have named the flood “Corpstrina.”
Here is that situation report:
The Missouri River at Rulo, Nebraska has dropped a foot from the record high of 27.26 feet recorded on Monday, June 27. The base has settled at around 26 feet, and observers do not expect it to drop below that stage for the next two months.
Corning is still under water from the Mill Creek levee breach. Kunkle says the Missouri River current moved a channel marker, with its weight intact, in Corning. The water moved it through the breach.
Everything northwest of the Big Tarkio River levee is submerged with water on both sides of I-29 in the area.
Floodwaters are starting to encroach on the city’s dirt levees around the town of Craig, which is surrounded on three sides by water: west, south and east. Water is against the levee near the Craig R-3 School and football field.
The Little Tarkio Creek levee forms the eastern border for floodwaters from Craig south to 118 Highway at Bigelow. All of 111 Highway from Corning to Craig to Big Lake is under water or impassable. Bigelow is seeing back-up floodwater from south fill ditches and fields around town. Floodwaters are backing through the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge east of Bigelow to the north side of 118 Highway. Ironwood road is closed from 118 Highway to 59 Highway with water over the roadway.
Sandbagging was undertaken and continues around the water treatment facility at Mound City.
South of Bigelow water is inundating all crop fields, homes and hunting cabins toward Fortescue as the Little Tarkio Creek has overtopped P Highway several times north of the railroad tracks. That water has mingled with the northern flow coming under 159 Highway, filling the entire basin from Napier to Fortescue.
All areas west of the Little Tarkio Creek channel are filled with deep floodwaters in the Big Lake area toward Rulo, Nebraska. The railroad tracks are covered with water from Fortescue west and 159 Highway is barely visible from aerial photos.
South of 159 Highway, numerous breaks on the Little Tarkio Creek eastern levee and continuing south down the Missouri River levee (Levee District #9) have filled the entire region with heavy water. Additional breaks and overtoppage on Squaw Creek have added floodwaters to the east side of the Forest City basin. A breach on the Cannon Drainage Ditch allowed the remaining agricultural acreage to fill with floodwaters to the western border of Kimsey Creek, just at the west edge of Forest City. Floodwaters have closed 111 Highway south of Napier to Forest City as they crossed the roadway to the base of the bluff north of Exide.
Forest City continues to actively sandbag. The water treatment facility, wells and sewage lift stations have been fortified and sandbags stockpiled to fight off water from the west. Holt Road 290 is closed at the concrete county bridge over Kimsey Creek at the northwest edge of town. Floodwaters create a sea from that location west to White Cloud, Kansas, six miles away.
South of Forest City the federal levee is experiencing heavy sand boils. Sandbagging has been ongoing in that area for the last few days in a quarter mile section near the mouth of Kimsey Creek, eastern side.
The last levee in Holt County’s Forbes bottom is Levee District #7. This federal levee has reported two to three feet of freeboard remaining. Board members are monitoring the levee and have plans to lay base rock on the top of the levee at the onset of a flood fight.
At this time evacuation orders stand for Corning, Craig, Bigelow, Fortescue, Big Lake and the rural areas around each community. No evacuation orders are in effect at this time for Forest City or Mound City.
Kunkle says about 631 people are out of their homes. The Red Cross Shelter is in stand-down mode as the two citizens previously in residence have been relocated to housing.
Long-term housing needs are emerging as permanent residents face the reality that the floodwater will remain for months and their homes will not be accessible.
The National Guard continues to support Holt County in this flood fight, with five check points stationed throughout the county. They also conduct roving patrols and reconnaissance teams helping with security and intelligence gathering.
For more information, contact the Holt County Emergency Operations Center, during office hours, at 660-446-3303 or 3304.
The City of St Joseph has released its emergency evacuation plan for the city’s south side. These plans are for emergency, flash flooding caused by levee failure.
Officials say the possibility of flooding and levee failure will continue through the remainder of the summer months at least. River levels between 27.5’ – 32.5’ are a certainty during this period. In an effort to provide the maximum amount of notification, the city has established the following Emergency Evacuation Notification system. Depending on the location and type of emergency, a resident may have only a brief period of time to evacuate.
The city and county sirens will be tested on Friday, July 1st at 3 p.m.
In the event an emergency evacuation for the southern area of the city is necessary, all possible means of notification will be utilized. This evacuation area of the city has been identified as all areas west of Lake Avenue from the intersection of King Hill and Lake Avenue extending south to the city limits.
Once an emergency has been confirmed by the proper authorities, police and fire will be dispatched to the area to begin the notification. Emergency Management Coordinator George Albert says city police and fire department staff will go door-to-door to warn residents.
The severe weather alert sirens, along with the cable television notification, will sound. All sirens will be activated in the city and county.
The sirens will not use the sounds normally associated with severe weather. It is described instead as a “fast wail.” Click play to hear the evacuation siren.
[audio:http://www.stjosephpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FAST-WAIL.mp3|titles=FAST WAIL]The following message will be broadcast:
At (time) on (date), the city of St. Joseph’s south side is under an emergency evacuation due to a levee breach. This affects all residents west of Lake Avenue from the intersection of King Hill and Lake Avenue extending south to the city limits. Listen to local media for more information.
Residents should not call the communication center (9-1-1) unless it is an emergency. Continue to call one of the city’s emergency operations center public phone lines. Those numbers are 816.364.1377 or 816.364.1380.
The primary source of notification will be police and fire personnel presence in the evacuation area utilizing loud speakers and door-to-door notifications. All means of notification to include:
Outdoor emergency sirens
Radio and television
Cable television emergency response notification
St. Joseph School District notification systems for Benton, Spring Garden, Hosea, and Lake Contrary school
(The Rushville School District is also expected to be included)
Nixle
National Weather Service Announcement
The city’s website, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The city’s government access channel (cable channel 19)
The primary evacuation route will be Alabama to the intersection with King Hill, at which point north / south traffic will be allowed. The secondary evacuation route will be Lake Avenue north out of the evacuation zone if passable and / or east on Illinois Avenue to King Hill. Traffic control points will be established at:
King Hill and Lake Avenue
King Hill and Alabama
Lake Avenue and Alabama
Alabama and Southwest Parkway
Hyde Park parking lot will be utilized as a staging area. The police department’s mobile command post will be located there. A temporary evacuation shelter will be established at Benton High School, 5655 South 4th. The following locations will be designated as areas for residents needing transportation out of area:
5200 Lake Avenue (Bus Stop)
5800 Lake Avenue (Bus Stop)
Alabama and Diagonal (Bus stop)
Residents should be prepared to survive any type of disaster, so you should:
Establish an evacuation kit including: important documents, money, clothes, food and water, medications, cell phone and charger, and family contact information.
Purchase a weather alert monitor and/or a radio with batteries to listen for instructions and emergency routes.
Practice and know where the emergency routes are located.
Never drive through standing water.
Plan for your pets.
