The City St Joseph is offering a big “thank you” to all the volunteers who turned out to help fill sandbags for flood control

“Over the weekend alone we had about 190 (volunteers),” said the city’s Public Information Officer Mary Robertson. “We just want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who did take the time to come down and help.”

Robertson says they more than met their goal of 250,000 sandbags. She says the final tallly will exceed 365,000.

Football players from Central High School, Benton High School, and Missouri Western turned out Sunday, and ramped up the effort, allowing them to call it a day earlier than planned.

“They triple-timed our efforts. That was part of the reason we did finish up a little early. Those guys just came down, got right down to business, and turned a lot of sandbags,” Robertson said.

The National Guard, and inmates from St Joseph and Chilicothe joined volunteers to fill sandbags for more than a week.

Robertson says they have already deployed 130,000 sandbags. They have an additional 180,000 on pallets and ready to be deployed.

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. East southeast wind between 10 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. East southeast wind between 10 and 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

“There are no plans to blow up any levees along the Missouri River.”  Those words, repeated by three top officials with the Army Corps of Engineers Sunday, belie the rumor that has been making the rounds in St Joseph.

Jud Kneuvean, Chief of Emergency Management, Kansas City District, says the Corps does not operate the levees in our area.  Officials tell us the local levee districts operate the levees in the best interest of the district.  Kneuvean says after a flood event, it’s conceivable that a levee might be destroyed, but only so it can be effectively repaired.

“The Corps does not engage in discussions to breach levees along the Missouri River, Kneuvean said.  “If a local entity does decide to do that, they do coordinate that with us, and they only do it for eligibility for rehabilitation assistance after the flood.”

Two Corps commanders in our area reiterated the notion.

Colonel Tony Hoffman, commander of the Kansas City District, says “there is no plan to blow up any levee in that vicinity.”

The commander of the Omaha Division of the Corps, Colonel Robert Ruch, says “it keeps going back to what was done on the Mississippi River earlier.”

“Those levees that were blown were part of plans for decades,” Ruch said Sunday.  “There are no plans to blow any levees on the Missouri River.”

The Corps has held daily telephone news conferences across six states.  In Sunday’s conference call, at least 70 people took part.

During the call, Kneuvean said there have been some sand shortages that have cropped up since major sandbagging operations began across the region.  He said they are seeking alternatives that don’t work as well as sand, and they are looking for new sources for sand.

Silt, gravel and limestone can be used, but Kneuvean says they soon turn to concrete, and are not as flexible as bags filled with sand.   Once additional sand sources are found, he says it then becomes a transportation.

Officials said repairs are proceeding on the L575 levee in Atchison County Missouri,  where officials reported three small breaches within the last three weeks.  Those repairs on “on target” for completion soon.

 

 

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is reporting there have been no new road closures in western Iowa due to flooding. The department is continuing to monitor at-risk areas as flood water levels continue to rise.  There are several areas of concern to residents in our area that are worth noting, notably along I-29 in western Iowa.

The department offers an interactive road condition map with the latest information.  Click on the map for details

I-29 is closed north of Council Bluffs, Iowa to about Loveland.  Both directions are closed between milepost 55 in Council Bluffs and the I-680 interchange near Loveland.

I-680 is closed from the I-29/680 interchange (exit 61 near Crescent) in Iowa to North 30th Street in Omaha, Nebr. (exit 13). This closure includes the Mormon Bridge across the Missouri River.

The Iowa detour route for interstate roadways closed in this vicinity is: I-680 east from the I-29/I-680 interchange near Loveland to I-80, and then take I-80 southwest to Council Bluffs. Eastbound travelers on I-680 in Omaha that are intending to travel to Iowa must exit at North 30th Street (exit 13), continue south on North 30th Street to U.S. 75/I-480, and then continue south on I-480 to I-80 eastbound.

Several interchanges in the Sioux City area are making do without on and off ramps.
The Sioux interchange of I-29 at Hamilton Boulevard is making do without some of its ramps.  The southbound I-29 on and off ramps are closed. The northbound ramps remain open. An alternative ramp has been constructed from southbound I-29 to Wesley Parkway/U.S. 77.

The Iowa DOT reports these roadways are at risk of being impacted by flooding and are being closely watched.
I-29 near Blencoe: Two segments of I-29 are at risk of being impacted: (1) near milepost 103.5 south of Blencoe; and (2) near milepost 107 north of Blencoe.
I-29 and U.S. 30 near Missouri Valley: Locally sponsored agricultural levees provide some measure of protection for this area. Three highway segments are at most risk in this area: (1) U.S. 30 west of I-29 between mileposts 7 and 8; (2) U.S. 30 east of I-29 between mileposts 9 and 10; and (3) I-29 between mileposts 77 and 78.
I-29/I-680 interchange between mileposts 71-72 near Loveland: This interchange is presently part of the I-29 detour. It is expected to be covered with flood waters. A loss of this interchange will significantly impact I-29 travel along the entire highway corridor because it currently serves as a connector between the northern and southern portions of the route. The extent of the traffic impact on the multistate region is yet to be determined. It is dependent on what other Missouri River bridges and roadway segments along the corridor are eventually closed due to flooding.
I-29, U.S. 275 and Iowa 333 at Hamburg in Fremont County: Temporary repairs have been made to the levee in Atchison County, Mo., to delay a full breach. The timing of the closure of these roadways hinges on a full breach.

Undergoing further evaluation or being monitored are the following areas:
I-29 northbound off-ramp to Dace Avenue in Sioux City (exit 147B or commonly known as the Downtown/Tyson Events Center): Flood mitigation efforts will be deployed to try to keep this ramp open.
I-29 northbound and southbound lanes in Sioux City at the U.S. 77/Wesley Parkway underpass (between exits 148 and 149): Flood mitigation efforts will be deployed to try to prevent this low area from being flooded.
I-29, from south of Bellevue (milepost 39) to Hamburg (milepost 1): This area is at a lesser risk, but would be inundated if the levee is breached or overtopped.
Iowa 376 (U.S. 75 Business): The roadway from Gordon Drive to Third Street in Sioux City may be closed if current pumping efforts are not sustainable.

NEW: Missouri River crossings
The Iowa DOT is expecting the Missouri River crossings at the following locations to remain open during the flooding:
Sioux City: U.S. 77/U.S.20 to South Sioux City, Nebr.; and U.S. 20/U.S. 75 to Nebraska
Council Bluffs/Omaha: I-480 and I-80

For traveler assistance, call the Iowa DOT’s flood information call center 866-452-8510 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
For current updates on road conditions – 24 hours a day, visit www.511ia.org or call 511 (in Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (outside of the state).

You can also follow the Iowa DOT on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/iowadot/.
Travelers may call the Iowa DOT’s temporary flood hotline from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. daily: 866-452-8510.

From the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of St Joseph comes word of ongoing efforts to prepare city facilities in low-lying areas from the rising Missouri River.

St Joseph Parks Department employees have been busy preparing for rising river waters in several areas.  Parks of the Riverwalk were closed more than a week ago between the Remington Nature Center and downtown, because several areas of the walk were already under water.

At the nature center, staff members started moving materials and supplies fro storage in the basement to other locations.  Officials say they worked on improving the seal of both the walk-in and overhead doors that access the basement, and then tested those seals by allowing the area around the doors to flood.  They found some minor seepage and repaired it.  They also placed sandbags on the east side of the building to divert water away from the basement doors.

Officials say the main floor of the nature center was constructed at a level significantly higher than what river levels were during the 1993 flood.  It will be business at usual at the facility unless flooding makes it unsafe to access the building.

Parks employees have begun moving non-essential equipment, materials and supplies away from the Heritage Park Softball Complex as well.  They placed sandbags around the park’s pump station to allow for a few more days use for recreation leagues.  Observers say floodwaters have been slowly rising on the west side of the complex, and are now within a few feet of breaching the playing fields.  Officials say as soon as that happens, the remaining supplies and equipment will be removed and the complex will be closed.

Recreation staff is looking at alternate locations to complete the summer session of the recreation softball and kickball leagues.

The transient boat dock on the Missouri River was removed during the week of May 30.  That dock, between the Missouri Department of Conservation’s French Bottoms Boat Ramp and the Remington Nature Center should come out of the river when levels exceed 21 feet.  Parks department staff, along with Brooner Construction & Crane were involved in the removal.

There has been a lot of criticism lobbed at the Army Corps of Engineers over their handling of releases from dams along the Missouri River. The Corps issued a a pair of news releases over the weekend to answer some of those critics.

Brigadier General John R. McMahon points out that the Corps has been following the Missouri River Master Manual, as approved by Congress since the “game changer,” the prolonged heavy rains received in Montana and the Dakotas since mid-May.

General McMahon says “…there is no doubt that the Missouri River will be a changed river following these historic flows.”

The Master Manual was updated in 2004 after a 14-year review, following a major drought. It was updated again in 2006 to protect several endangered species downstream. McMahon says continuing periodic reviews of the Master Manual will provide yet another opportunity to solicit feedback from the public about their operations.

Colonel Robert Ruch, Commander of the USACE Omaha District, says the dams on the Upper Missouri are fully functional and operating as designed.

Ruch says “…the system is protecting the public from unregulated flows. Unregulated flows – which occur when flood waters flow uncontrolled in a spillway — would result in significantly more damage. There is no evidence to suggest an emergency situation at any of our dams, and all projects are operating within their design parameters.”

Here are both news releases in their entirety, plus a pair of photographs released by the Corps of damage to a levee near Hamburg, Iowa, and the response by the National Guard.   You are urged to call the Joint Information Center with questions at (402) 996-3877 or go to the Corps’ website at http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For Release: Sunday, June 12, 2011
Contact: Missouri River Joint Information Center
(402) 996-3877
mrjic@usace.army.mil

Brigadier General McMahon: Master Manual guides regulation of Missouri River

We’ve been fighting the Flood of 2011 for nearly three weeks now. Throughout the basin, the losses to families and communities have been heart-wrenching and our hearts go out to all who have been impacted by this unfortunate and unprecedented event.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get in our call center is, “Why didn’t the Corps evacuate floodwaters sooner?” Simply put, the answer to that question is, “We did.” At the beginning of the runoff season we had the full capacity of our flood risk reduction storage available to us. The game-changer has been the prolonged, heavy rains we have received in Montana and in the Dakotas since mid-May.

The Missouri River main stem reservoir system, which spans 1770 miles and includes six dams and reservoirs, provides flood risk reduction for communities from Fort Peck, Mont. to St. Louis, Mo. It is operated in accordance with the Missouri River Master Manual. The Master Manual includes a water control plan that helps guide how much water should be released, when, and for how long from the six reservoirs. It is based on hydrology models that consider variables like volume, timing, and the shape of snow and rainfall runoff, and is based on more than 100 years of historical runoff records (1898-2004).

In 1989, the Corps initiated a review of the Missouri River Master Manual in response to the first major drought the Basin had experienced since the system was built and the needs of communities along the River. Re-opening the manual provided an opportunity for the public to voice their views on how the Missouri River should be operated. It was a 14-year journey of study and debate on the long-term management of the river. The review entailed extensive and thorough scientific research and hundreds of public meetings. We received thousands of comments from various stakeholders, Congressional and State representatives, Tribes, interest groups and members of the general public throughout the basin.

The Master Manual was updated in 2004. The water control plan in the manual provides for the Corps to serve the purposes for which Congress authorized construction of the system. These purposes include flood control, navigation, water supply, water quality, hydropower, irrigation, recreation, and fish and wildlife. The Corps strives to balance operation of the system to serve these purposes. For the past year, the Corps has been operating the System solely for Missouri River flood risk reduction.

As required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, during the course of the Master Manual Review and Update, the Corps consulted with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In its 2003 Amended Biological Opinion, the Service concluded that the Corps’ operation of the system jeopardized the continued existence of the endangered pallid sturgeon and two bird species. However, the service provided an alternative to jeopardy that allows the Corps to continue to serve all of the authorized purposes. In addition to several other elements, this alternative included modifications in reservoir releases.

In 2006, the Master Manual was again updated to reflect these flow modifications. In accordance with the criteria in the manual, and in compliance with the Endangered Species Act, at no time during the past year has the system been operated for endangered or other native or introduced species. Our priority has been flood risk reduction.

Each fall, the Corps forecasts the regulation of the Missouri River main stem system with various runoff scenarios for the remainder of the current year, plus the following calendar year and publishes a draft Annual Operating Plan. We hold a series of public meetings in each state throughout the basin to solicit feedback on our planned operations. We use that input from the public when developing our Final Annual Operating Plan, which is typically finalized in December of every year.

During the spring, we hold another round of meetings to update the public on our operations. Public involvement and transparency are key components of our Annual Operating Plan. Further, monthly and weekly forecasts are completed as well as daily assessments.

These historic and unprecedented releases we have experienced in the basin have pushed us into unchartered territory with respect to releases. There is no doubt that the Missouri River will be a changed river following these historic flows. As the Corps conducts reviews of our emergency response efforts and management of the Missouri River during this historic flood event, we will be presented with yet another opportunity to solicit feedback from the public about our operations.

In the meantime, we remain committed to this flood fight. We’ve dispatched teams of experts all along the basin to construct temporary levees. We’ve issued millions of sandbags and numerous pumps to support local flood fight efforts, avoid loss of life, minimize damages and help impacted communities. We remain in close collaboration with city, county, state and federal agencies, the Tribes and Congressional representatives and we will continue to do everything in our ability to assist communities throughout the duration of the Flood of 2011.
###

For Release: Saturday, June 11, 2011
By Col. Robert J. Ruch
Commander, Omaha District
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is engaged in an epic flood fight. For the last few months, we have focused on managing heavy inflows caused by record snowpack and rainfall in the Upper Missouri River basin. On May 1, the Corps projected summer releases of 57,500 cubic feet per second from Gavins Point Dam and were on schedule to evacuate the runoff from the record snowpack.

Then storms dumped eight inches of rain over Montana and North Dakota and changed the entire scenario. We will be managing these and subsequent inflows for the next several months as record runoff surges through the main stem system.

As Commander of the Omaha District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I assure you that we make public safety our number one priority. We are also intensely focused on providing the public with timely, accurate and useable information.

In today’s information age, we are confronted with reported assertions that are inaccurate and may induce fear and uncertainty without merit. Such assertions published and circulated in the past few weeks would have the public believe that the main stem dam system on the Upper Missouri could fail.

I disagree with those assertions.

I won’t lend unproven assertions any credence by repeating them or analyzing them point by point. I do, however, want the public to know this:

The dams on the Upper Missouri – Fort Peck, (Mont.), Garrison Dam (N.D.), Oahe Dam, Big Bend Dam, and Fort Randall Dam (all S.D.) and Gavins Point (S.D./Neb.) — are fully functional and operating as designed.

The system is protecting the public from unregulated flows. Unregulated flows – which occur when flood waters flow uncontrolled in a spillway — would result in significantly more damage. There is no evidence to suggest an emergency situation at any of our dams, and all projects are operating within their design parameters.

Public safety is paramount. As part of this responsibility, we long ago implemented a comprehensive dam safety program at each of our dams. We conduct daily, yearly and periodic (every 5 years) inspections, teaming with state dam safety agencies, Northwestern Division and other agencies to ensure the safety of these structures.

Our extensive instrumentation program allows us to closely monitor areas of interest such as seepage pressure and any minor movement. We’ve also re-evaluated seismic designs as the state of practice has evolved over recent decades. People need to remember that although our flood control storage is near capacity, dam functionality is not. There is no danger that any of our dams will be overtopped.

It is worth noting that all six dams have experienced similar pool levels several times over their service life. We make it standard operating procedure to increase the level of surveillance as water levels rise so that we can best manage the risks associated with dams of this size and importance. Our elevated surveillance on these dams has not revealed any significant issues or concerns regarding operation at these high pools and or record releases.

In closing, I have full confidence in the operational integrity of our main stem dams. Our dams are inspected and maintained on rigid schedules. Holding back volumes of water is what they were designed to do, and these structures have not only met but surpassed these expectations. We are respectful of these structures and pledge to remain vigilant to continually evaluate the performance and reliability of these projects into the future.

The Corps is 100 percent committed to this flood fight and we will continue to manage this record event on the river with public safety as our top priority. We will continue to use best engineering practices to manage the flood waters in the Missouri River main stem dam and reservoir system as the fight moves into summer.

###

The Dam at Gavins Point in South Dakata is slated to increase it’s water releases to 150,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) sometime next week.

Releases at the dam at the end of this week have reached 145,000 cfs. Releases previously have not topped 70,000 cfs second before.

Five dams help control the Missouri River upstream.  The Gavins Point dam is the furthest downstream in the series of dams.  Some of the dams upstream from Gavins Point have already reached the 150,000 cfs rate.

Next Tuesday, The Corps of Engineers plans to increase to the 150,000 cfs rate, that’s the level they are expected to stay at through mid-July or longer. It could be until August before the releases decrease in cubic feet.

By Friday, the Missouri river at St Joseph was at 22.4 feet. It’s expected to reach near 26 ½ feet by Thursday. At Rulo, the river was at 23 ½ feet Friday and is expected to reach 25 ½ feet by Thursday. The record level at Rulo is 26.6 feet.

The river level in Brownville near the Cooper Nuclear Power Plant was at 39.6 feet Friday, and is expected to reach 41 feet sometime next week. The record level there is just over 44 feet.

Parts of Iowa are already feeling the impact of the record releases along the Missouri River. A portion of Interstate 29 closed this week near Interstate 80 and northeast of Omaha. The Missouri River in parts of Iowa rose 2 feet in the last week.

For the latest in river stages, visit the National Weather Service Hydrologic Predictions.

 

The Missouri Highway Patrol was called to a second lane-closing accident Friday along Interstate 29.

The first accident happened Friday morning.  The second involved a dump truck overturning into the median just before 4:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.

The truck spilled part of it’s load onto the northbound lanes of I-29 just north of Dearborn.  Both northbound lanes were closed and one southbound lane was closed for a period of time, Highway Patrol dispatchers said.

 

KCP&L is preparing for potentially significant flooding in portions of its service area near the Missouri River.

In a news release, the company says officials are monitoring river levels closely and reinforcing facilities.

“We intend to take every reasonable step to avoid interrupting service to customers in and around the flood areas, but scattered service disconnections may be necessary as a safety precaution.”

The electric utility is keeping a close eye on Atchison, Holt, Andrew, Buchanan and Platte counties, which could soon be impacted by flooding, and possibly more counties downstream.

“We will make efforts, as it is feasible, to notify customers when rising water in affected areas may result in an electrical safety hazard or when local or state officials mandate disconnection of electricity to homes and businesses.”

The utility is building water-tight, concrete-block walls and sandbagging around electrical substations and other facilities, staging replacement and back-up equipment where it might be needed, tuning up equipment, and inspecting infrastructure and double-checking maintenance.

For more information from KCP&L, click here.

The Andrew County Sheriff and OSHA are investigating an industrial accident at a quarry near Amazonia that sent a St Joseph man to the hospital with serious injuries.

Sheriff Bryan Atkins says Ronald Buckler, 29, was working with some rock-crushing equipment at the Uehlin Quarry over the noon hour Thursday when a metal bar was deflected by the crusher and hit him in the neck.

Atkins says Buckler was flown to Heartland Regional Medical Center in St Joseph with what were considered life-threatening injuries. We have not received an update on his condition.

Atkins says OSHA has been notified and may investigate further, but the Sheriff believes the injuries were the result of an accident.

The Uehlin Quarry is located on Missouri Route T, about four miles northwest of Amazonia in Andrew County.