Published: December 31,2015
Officials said a stretch of Interstate 55 was shut down near the Meramec River due to floodwaters. The closure affected a stretch of the freeway near the border of St. Louis and Jefferson counties, south of the city. In the state of Missouri, I-44 remained closed in three locations, and there were also two closures along I-80.
Floodwaters are rising all over Missouri, southern Illinois, eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas, pushing residents from their homes. At least 24 people have been killed from impacts on the rainy side of this storm system. Many rivers, including the Mississippi, have yet to crest in some areas, and as those waterways continue to swell, the danger only grows.
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon activated the National Guard on Tuesday to support emergency personnel and protect communities from the historic winter floods.
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Person trapped on top of another home floating down the Meramec river. Water rescue underway #STL #STLWX
"This is probably one of the earliest (times) we've seen flooding on the Mississippi River," said Marty Pope, senior service hydrologist with the National Weather Service office in Jackson, Mississippi, during a Monday news conference with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. The governor declared a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon for areas expected to experience flooding.
Here's what we know about the flooding impacts across several states.
Missouri
Rescue crews remained busy as evacuation orders continued to expand in flooded parts of the state, with more than four dozen water rescues in the city of Eureka alone, where the Meramec River was overflowing, according to the Associated Press. One of those rescues in the town located southwest of St. Louis was a man and his dog who were trapped on the roof of their home as it washed away. They were pulled to safety after several terrifying minutes that were broadcast on live television."Our crews are getting dispatched to another rescue now," Scott Barthelmass, a Eureka Fire Protection District spokesman, told the AP on Wednesday afternoon. "I think you're seeing people who are desperate or impatient, putting themselves in predicaments."
In the town of Valley Park, officials ordered a mandatory evacuation of the levee-protected area Wednesday morning for fears that the flooding may overtop the levee system. Mayor Michael Pennise said the levee was not breached, and engineers did not fear a breach in that area. The area will remain evacuated until water levels recede, he added.
In total, at least nine levees have been topped by water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the AP. Most of those were earthen levees that protect farmland, not towns, the report added.
In Branson, about 100 homes and 55 duplexes were evacuated Wednesday morning due to rising floodwaters at Lake Taneycomo, the AP reported. Branson Fire Chief Ted Martin said there have been no injuries from flooding in the city so far.
Late Tuesday morning, the Mississippi River had begun to overtop levees just north of West Alton, Missouri, St. Charles County EMA reported. Officials were directing residents of West Alton to evacuate immediately. A flash flood warning issued by the National Weather Service said the floodwaters could inundate much of the area in and near West Alton. The levee breach occurred in an area about 20 miles north of St. Louis.
- Maj. Mohammad Hassan Ibrahim, 32, of Egypt
- Maj. Akram Abu Al-rub, 38, of Jordan
- Capt. Ahmed Moussouni, 32, of Algeria
- Capt. Ahmed Abdelghani, 29, of Egypt
- Capt. Hasman Hussin, 33, of Malaysia
"The men were in a program that brings troops from other countries to the installation to study engineering, military policing and chemical defense," wrote Army Times.
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According to Long, two others were killed in the county by flooding on Saturday night. Long has identified the two victims of the first incident as 53-year-old Ron Gray, and 50-year-old Sandra Tilley, both of Dixon.
In Lawrence County, a 28-year-old male was swept off of Farm Road 1130 due to flash flooding. The flooding occurred along a small tributary of Browning Hollow, which is a tributary of Spring River. In that same county, 37-year-old Christopher A. Sperandio was killed when his car was swept away by flooding. His body was recovered Tuesday, the Missouri State Highway Patrol told the AP.
Interstate 44 was closed along several stretches across the state, and the state Department of Transportation urged drivers to check their website for all road closures before heading out.
Near St. Louis, flooding on the Meramec River shut down a wastewater plant, causing sewage to spill directly into nearby rivers and streams, the AP also said. The public was asked to avoid contact with floodwater in the area, and the Metropolitan Sewer District of St. Louis said Tuesday it wasn't clear when the plant would start operating again.
Pic of scene on other side of Vance Rd flood wall. Meramec River inundating area.#stl@fox2now
The two Greene County victims have been identified as Steven Welton, 42, and Edward Kammerer, 60. Welton drowned in a creek when his car was washed off the road on Saturday, the Missouri Highway Patrol told the AP. Kammerer, a tow truck driver, was electrocuted by a downed power line while he attempted to retrieve a vehicle that had gone off the roadway, Springfield-Greene County Office of Emergency Management executive director Chet Hunter said.
Kevin Lee, 53, was killed in Douglas County Sunday night when he was swept away while attempting to bring cattle to higher ground, the NWS reported.
There has been one storm-related death in Jasper County, officials confirmed to the Joplin Globe. Christopher William Forman, 30, of Erie, Kansas, was found dead in the Spring River near the area where his truck was washed off the road, Sgt. John Lueckenhoff told the Joplin Globe.
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Washed out Meramec River railroad bridge off Highway 141 at Valley Park. #stlwx
Illinois
Three historic sites in Illinois have been closed by the flooding, according to the AP. The state's Historic Preservation Agency said Fort de Chartres, Fort Kaskaskia and Pierre Menard Home were closed in Randolph County, about 40 miles south of St. Louis, because the flooding made the grounds unsafe.Gov. Bruce Rauner issued a disaster declaration for seven counties overnight Tuesday. In central and southern Illinois, several rivers reported major flooding, and shelters were opened to house the evacuees.
One of those shelters was a church basement in Granite City, where 30 residents of a flooded trailer park were told it could be 10 to 12 days before they'd be allowed to go home, the AP reported.
"We need help over here," evacuee Shirley Clark, a diabetic who said she left behind her insulin supply, told the AP. "We're just holding on."
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At least seven people have been killed in Illinois by flooding, as officials confirmed two more deaths Wednesday morning.
Christian County officials confirmed the bodies of a man and woman were recovered Tuesday morning in floodwaters about 6 miles east of Edinburg. They were trying to cross a flooded area when their minivan was swept away, the report added. The State Journal-Register identified the victims as Cindy Dexheimer, 46, and Robert E. Gordon II, 49.
Flooding worsened Tuesday in the town of Alton, as water levels continued to rise along the Mississippi River.
Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon says the swift-moving East Fork Creek carried the car off a low-water bridge about 7:30 p.m. Saturday near the town of Patoka, about 60 miles east of St. Louis.
The car became lodged 150 to 200 feet downstream, but shortly after the first firefighter arrived on the scene it was dislodged and sank. Cannon says dive teams recovered the car from the water several hours later and the bodies of the victims from the car.
Cannon said the vehicle was traveling from Elkton, Kentucky, to Minnesota.
Arkansas
Gov. Asa Hutchinson expanded a disaster declaration Tuesday night to cover 21 counties to help those affected by recent flooding and tornadoes in the Natural State, KSLA.com reported. On Wednesday, he expanded that declaration to cover another 11 counties.The Pope County Sheriff's Office said one person was killed by flooding over the weekend in the county. The victim was identified as James Evan LaRue, from Dover.
Two others have been killed by the rainy impacts of this storm system, the Arkansas State Patrol said. Tommy Cook Jr., 66, died in a car accident that was blamed on wet roads Saturday morning in Faulkner County. A day later, 29-year-old Salvador Gaspar died in a two-car collision in Sevier County, officials confirmed.
Forecasters warn major flooding will occur along the Arkansas River, especially in Dardanelle, Morrilton, Pine Bluff, Toad Suck and Pendleton, the AP reported. The river crested in Dardanelle early Wednesday about 8 feet above flood stage, the report added.
Nope. This is not Lake Tenkiller. This is Eastside Liquor on Rogers Ave in @FtSmithARK #flooding #cleanuponaisle1
Oklahoma
Significant road closures continued across eastern Oklahoma Wednesday evening due to flooding, says the Oklahoma Department of Transporation. These conditions have been changing rapidly and some closures may continue through the week while water recedes.The Oklahoma Medical Examiner's Office announced Tuesday evening that two deaths in eastern Oklahoma are likely related to the flooding brought by the warm side of Winter Storm Goliath. According to OME spokesman Eddie Johnson, the likely drowning victims are 54-year-old Melissa Phillips of Bixby, and 36-year-old Darrell Sennett, whose pickup truck was swept off of a Pittsburg County road.
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The National Weather Service said roads and residences are at risk of flooding through Wednesday after dam operators reported the floodgates would increase releases, causing additional rises in water level downstream on the Grand Neosho River east of Choteau downstream to the headwater of Fort Gibson Lake.
Southeast of Tulsa, the Illinois River near Tahlequah rose well above its banks on Monday morning, flooding everything nearby.
"Treat this with respect. This is a dangerous event, this is a potentially life-threatening event and we want to make sure that people that takes this as seriously as it really is," Scott Pettus, Cherokee County emergency manager, told KTUL.com.
Flooding was expected to cause major problems across the state as the storm system dumped huge rainfall totals, and officials warned residents to stay home and off roadways, the Tulsa World reported. Authorities reported more accidents than usual, which they blamed on the weather, the report added. Several interstates and highways were closed by high water levels, as well.
Louisiana
Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Wednesday in advance of expected flooding along the Mississippi and Red rivers, among other bodies of water, according to KSLA.com.Kansas
Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes as floodwaters invaded southeastern Kansas.Cherokee County Sheriff David Groves told the AP crews had performed 22 water rescues since the weekend, but no major injuries were reported. They've evacuated about 200 homes in the county, he also said, including about 80 in the town of Baxter Springs, which was damaged by a tornado in April 2014, the AP added.
In that town, several homes were almost completely submerged, with water up to their roofs, Groves said.
"It's difficult to see that, and it's going to be difficult for residents to cope with that and go forward," he told the AP.
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