The National Weather Service in Pleasant Hill has issued a
* Flash Flood Warning for…
A Levee Failure in…
East central Doniphan County in northeastern Kansas…
North central Buchanan County in northwestern Missouri…
* Until 215 PM CDT.
* At 817 AM CDT, gauges and river forecasts indicate a levee on the
Missouri River south in eastern Doniphan County would be
overtopped, causing flooding along the immediate area behind the
levee.
Expect ongoing moderate to major river flooding to continue for the next several days. No precipitation is anticipated today, however, rain chances increase this weekend. Saturday late morning showers will spread west to east across eastern Kansas and Missouri during the day. Off and on rain showers will continue with a chance of thunderstorms through noon on Sunday. Overall we are expected around 0.25” of precipitation with higher totals near 0.50” over NW Missouri. Here’s the 7-day forecast from the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 62. Light and variable wind becoming east northeast around 6 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 37. East wind 6 to 8 mph.
Saturday: Showers likely, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. East southeast wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 a.m. Low around 47. East southeast wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. High near 60. South wind 8 to 10 mph becoming west northwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 40. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 32.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 54.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 41.
Wednesday: A chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 63. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Wednesday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 51. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Thursday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67. Breezy. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post
Second Harvest Community Food Bank is working to assist the surrounding communities being affected by the flooding.
Second Harvest Communications Coordinator Blake Haynes said some immediate donation needs include bottled water, easy-open cans, snack items and personal care items.
“We’ve delivered some water, self-stable items, also some produce up to Holt County, in Missouri, as well as donating some water to Atchison, Kansas, and we’re going to continue to do that to all the areas that are being affected by the flood,” Haynes said. “Some of the ways you can help is bring items to Second Harvest from 8 to 5, or what you can do is go online to shcfb.org, and make a monetary donation or you can do that on Facebook as well. Those funds will directly impact our disaster relief efforts and are greatly appreciated.”
Other suggested items to donate include peanut butter, rice, dry goods and baby food and formula.
Items can be donated between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at Second Harvest, located at 915 Douglas in St. Joseph.
For more information, call (816) 364-FOOD. After 5 p.m., or over the weekend, call (816) 617-1003.
By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Gov. Mike Parson returns to northwest Missouri for another flyover of widespread flooding from the Iowa border to south of St. Joseph.
Parson has issued an emergency declaration, the first step in requesting a federal disaster declaration for the region.
“Our number one priority is to keep people safe and to protect the property that is out there and to continue to keep people safe and monitor the situation,” Parson tells reporters during a news conference at Rosecrans Memorial Airport.
Parson says the total damage done by the flooding is unknown at this time. He says an assessment will be done when the waters recede so a disaster assistance request can be made to the federal government.
Missouri Agriculture Director Chris Chinn has surveyed the damage along with the governor during a helicopter tour from the border of Iowa to south of St. Joseph.
Chinn says no one can tell the extent of the damage done to farmland.
“Right now, it’s too early to asses the damage,” Chinn tells reporters. “We have to wait for the water to recede. However, the Missouri FSA office is going to be prepared and ready when that time comes to start accessing the damage.”
Then, Chinn says the state will put in a request for federal assistance to the USDA.
“So, until the water recedes, right now it’s going to be too early for us to tell what the damage is going to be, but we are ready and prepared to help our farmers in the weeks and days ahead to make sure that we are there to give them everything that they need,” according to Chinn.
The widespread flooding in northwest Missouri is rekindling a long-simmering dispute between the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Gov. Parson says he has not spoken to Army Corps of Engineers officials, yet.
But, the governor says the Corps needs to re-prioritize to put the safety of people and their property first.
“When you’re affecting states like Nebraska, like Iowa, and Missouri all at the same time, we need to re-evaluate what our priorities are for the Corps of Engineers,” Parson says.
The governor says he plans to meet with the Corps.
“I think there’s a long history with the state not being really happy with the Corps of Engineers, how they conduct this thing, how they’re doing these levees, and how they’re actually using the waterways in our state. So, it’s a concern.”
Parson says he saw much more destruction in his second flyover of flooded northwest Missouri.
(UPDATE 8:51 a.m. Friday) – The City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County are issuing a mandatory evacuation of the area behind the L-455 levee system on the Missouri side and the area protected by the R-471/460 levee on the Kansas side.
The forecasted crest is now expected to reach 32 feet between 1 and 4 p.m. today. According to City officials, while the federal levees are in good condition and operating as they should, precautionary measures need to be taken to ensure the safety residents. The area behind the L455 levee unit is essentially all areas west of Lake Avenue/US 59 Highway, between Contrary Creek on the south and Atchison street on the north. The area protected by the R-460/471 levee system is the entire area from the bluffs in Wathena to the Missouri River and to the airport on the north.
The City says residents and businesses should take steps to start the evacuation process immediately.
The St. Joseph Police Department is going door-to-door to notify those in the affected areas protected by the levee on the Missouri side.
==
10:55 p.m. Thursday – The City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County Thursday night issued a voluntary evacuation of areas behind the L-455 levee system on the Missouri side.
The area behind the L-455 levee unit is essentially all areas west of Lake Avenue/US 59 Highway, between Contrary Creek on the south and Atchison street on the north.
An evacuation shelter is in place at the Keys Church at 6002 South 9th St.
As of 6:30 Friday morning, the National Weather Service reported the Missouri River was at 31.45 feet. The projected crest is 32 feet. The record crest was reached in 1993 at 32.1 feet.
PLATTE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Thursday in Platte County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2002 Jeep driven by Timothy V. Thomas, 22, Liberty, was northbound on Interstate 29 at Interstate 635.
The driver attempted to change lanes and overcorrected. The vehicle struck a guardrail, rotated several times and ejected both passengers.
Kara E. Tatum, 33, Kansas City, Mo., was pronounced dead at the scene. The Kansas City Fire Department transported Thomas and passenger Chad E. Tatum, 46, Sturgeon, to North Kansas City Hospital.
They were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.
A suspect was taken into custody Thursday in reference to a bank robbery Monday in St. Joseph.
According to Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department, 38-year-old Nicholas Lehman was taken into custody regarding the bank robbery at Citizens Bank and Trust on Monday.
As previously reported, the suspect walked into the bank at 5305 North Belt and presented a note demanding money. He left on foot with an undetermined amount of cash. No one was injured.
Wilson said the investigation is still ongoing.
By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Officials of Elwood, Kansas have advised residents to leave the city as the Missouri River threatens to overrun its banks and flood the city across the river from St. Joseph.
Emergency sirens sounded earlier this evening and deputies from the Doniphan County Sheriff’s Department along with Elwood police officers drove the streets of Elwood, advising residents to evacuate. Non-residents are not being allowed to enter the city.
City officials, during a community meeting, told residents utilities will be shut off from homes in preparation for possible flooding.
The National Weather Service reports the Missouri River at St. Joseph is at 29.9 feet and is projected to crest overnight at 30.5 feet. The record crest was reached in 1993 at 32.1 feet.
KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Kansas City-area high school student has been charged after allegedly taking photos and videos up other students’ shorts.
The Platte County prosecutor charged 17-year-old Jared A. Scott with six counts of misdemeanor invasion of privacy Tuesday.
Scott’s attorney didn’t immediately return an Associated Press request for comment Thursday.
Two girls recently told Park Hill South High School administrators that Scott used a cellphone to shoot video up of one student’s shorts. Another said that also happened to her last year, although she didn’t report it then.
According to court records, Scott denied using his cellphone to take those photos after being confronted.
Authorities identified a third possible victim after reviewing surveillance footage from the school. Investigators also say they found photos of six possible victims.
Another road has been claimed by flood waters as the Missouri River in St. Joseph heads towards a predicted crest of 30.1 feet on Friday morning. The St. Joseph Police released the following alert around 4:45 pm – Stockyards Expressway will be closed until further notice due to flooding.
