Flooding, flooding, and some more flooding.

[Mike Hollingshead]

Sort of surprised there's no thread for all the flooding this system has created. So here's one, for those of us at all interested in it.

http://kamala.cod.edu/offs/KOAX/wgus83.chunk.html

There's a link to all the flood statements coming out of Omaha for river levels. Some forecasts for levels were rather impressive. One called for record levels on the Boyer River, a whopping 8 feet above flood stage. I-29 is now closed in two locations in western IA.

This was taken on I-29 north of Missouri Valley this afternoon. I'm heading north, looking east. Supposed to be crops out there. The water was just barely touching the shoulder at this time.

This one was taken only an hour and a half later as I was coming back south on I-29, looking east at the northbound lanes. The water was already completely over the right lane I'd just taken north. I was amazed how long the cops let traffic go through there before they finally had to close it. Soon the southbound lanes were closed as well. Then another location further south in sw IA was closed. A levee or two broke in this area causing this.

It's bad when all their river forecasts are calling for such extreme rises through tomorrow(from the flooding up north) and it's already so bad anyway. I've got a ton of other images I'll put up at sometime. I figure I'll head out again tomorrow and likely see it's all much worse anyway, so the images I have won't even matter.

 

[Willie Dines]

Hey Mike , I'm also suprised that there hasn't been a thread on this, as I was watching KWCH Strom Team 12 online earlier, and at arount 2:30? central time, and they were issuing flood warnings left and right, in the Southern counties of KS, and I'm aware that a few areas of KS, have been heavily flooded, but I've not heard much details on any other areas so far, untill what you have mentioned

It's definitely been a hectic weekend, and I hope that you (And everyone else, who is out chasing) will be careful and stay safe

Willie

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://kamala.cod.edu/ne/latest.wous43.KOAX.html

City of Red Oak IA is being asked to evacuate now.

Missouri River is over flood stage levels in locations south of Omaha:
http://kamala.cod.edu/ne/latest.srus43.KOAX.html


Seems impressive to be seing 10 foot rises in 24 hrs. Saturday morning the Missouri River at Platsmouth was 17 feet deep, this morning it's at 30 feet. Some of the creeks have risen 20+ feet in 24 hours. I'm guessing it's got to be getting bad in ne KS, and nw MO areas now too.

Seems I-29 is closing all over the place.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

Want to borrow a kayak H? They began evacuating several residential areas along Wildcat Creek here in Manhattan yesterday morning. Sandbag and flat-bottom boats seemed to be the order of the day. Unbelievable amounts of rain in our areas!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

I-29 still closed at Missouri Valley and traffic is routed through Blair and up 75 to I guess Onawa IA. Well I'm at Missouri Valley now and it's gotten even worse since last night(a coulple feet worse). It gets much higher and they will lose the 30 to Blair option. Westbound 30 under 1-29 is completely under water, and it's running over the mediun and over eastbound....which the traffic is currently driving through to go west. So anyone with any I-29 plans anytime soon, I'd think again.

Tons of water heading south for ya Tim lol.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

I'm scared of what is coming down this way. The river is already at flood stage, and there is a huge wave on its way down from the north. By the end of the week we may be dealing with enormous amounts of water. The tributaries and secondary creeks are already out of their banks. Reminds me a lot of '93, and apparently it does the same for some in EAX.

 

[Mark Manchester]

In NW Missouri, I-29 is closed from MM 84 to MM 92. Numerous local roads closed as well, and NWS using the term 'Record Severity' when describing flood levels. Already 10 feet above flood level on Tarkio River.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

Yeah, there has been plenty of talk about the '93 flood around here since Tuttle Creek Reservoir just outside of Manhattan was the source of much devastation during that flood. Oddly enough H you're not far from wrong since the watershed for Tuttle extends well into NE

It will be interesting to see how things work out. There's definitely not much more room for another soaker of this magnitude.

EDIT: Just checked the water release forecast from the Corps of Engineers.......they are holding back water in Tuttle, in an effort to alleviate pressure downstream, pushing it to 20 ft over conservation level by Thurs if their predictions verify.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Wathena, Kansas issued a statement to its residents/businesses this morning that voluntary evacuation starts at 27 feet and mandatory starts at 29 feet. The river is almost 25 feet now ... but as was mentioned, there is a ridiculous volume moving down from the north. Atchison County is checking in with nearly 4" of rain in places over the weekend.

I just talked to my sister-in-law (my brother's body shop is on the river bottom in Wathena), and they are scrambling to get things moved up higher. She said that people are starting to panic. All they can think about is what happened in '93, when the levy in Elwood, KS suddenly blew apart, releasing a wave across the Kansas side that destroyed everything in its path. Hopefully they built it back better than before. Looks like a possibility that I may be heading north in the next day or two to help sandbag my brother's business. Let's hope this isn't that bad -

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Just checked KC's current level, and it's closing in on 33 feet. That red flood line is getting pretty close, and we have a ways to go before cresting. Would be cool to see photos from all up and down the river valleys. Hopefully the roads will stay passable enough to get some good views.

Here's the story from KCTV for the town with my brother's brand new shop. His place isn't even a year old yet, which is just sad. Everything's so shiny and new there ... today anyway.

Edit - here's Rulo's level too ... checking in at about 8 feet over flood stage. Of course, Rulo floods at the drop of a hat, but just shows the volume headed downriver right now.

Edit No. 2 - here's the latest web briefing from EAX. That briefing is really cool - nice way to disseminate lots of good information.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://kamala.cod.edu/ks/latest.wgus83.KEAX.html

Jeesh, that should make some news. I may have to drive down there tomorrow, but man I'm slightly tired of driving around.

I-29 at the Missouri Valley exit should improve sometime soon I'd think, since they now have gotten heavy equipment to the levee break. It was a 100 foot wide break that now I guess is 2 blocks wide, so maybe that will take a bit longer than I'm thinking.

I drove down to the Red Oak, Riverton, and Griswald IA areas. It was becoming a challenge to find routes that stayed open. The road west of Riverton must have had water over it for a good mile. That was spooky to watch water from the fields POUR into the west Nishnabotna, from a level that looked to be 1-2 feet higher than the flooding river. I guess the east Nishnabotna is what was feeding this. The readings on the flood gage stick were still rising as I left.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Yeah ... Missouri River has now passed flood stage in KC. They are closing the flood doors on the levees in Parkville at 7:00 a.m. (sorry commuters, but highway 9 will be under water for your morning drive).

I need to go out and grab some shots in a bit. The river looks incredible from work ... My brother drove along the levees near St. Joseph this afternoon with floodwater on one side and a cresting river on the other, but then he's crazy.

We're still way below the cubic flow of '93, but the level is up there within the fifth highest crest already. That's plenty of water. With almost 7 inches of rain along the MO/IA line, it's no wonder. The one good thing is that it's looking like future rainfall may be diverted around the hardest-hit areas.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

Wow - check out Channel 4's video here ... it's pretty amazing. Looks like the gates in Riverside are already closed. Welcome to Lake Missouri - the nation's next Great Lake!

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

http://kamala.cod.edu/sd/latest.wgus83.KFSD.html

I haven't gotten to Aberdeens' info yet, but there is Sioux Falls. I'm not sure where all those rivers go and what they wind up in, but I'd venture a guess most end up in the Missouri at some point(don't they have to?). Those are some lengthy periods above flood stage on many of those, some not even cresting yet. I'm thinking ne KS, nw MO is going to wind up with the worst of all this as it has to take a while for all that to actually move south.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

St. Joseph looks like it's going to take the brunt of this one. The levee broke on the Missouri side of the river yesterday, which forced emergency evacs and shut down schools on the south side. A piece on the Today show this morning showed extensive water around St. Joe. The paper in St. Joe this morning said that if the Great Flood of 1993 were a television series, the flooding this week would be one of the episodes. As anticipated, the crest is one of the highest ever this morning, three feet higher than the flood of 1951 ... but still lower than the crests of '93. The only saving grace is the fact that the rain stopped. If it hadn't - particularly to the north - there would be a whole new set of problems. As it is, there is more than enough water still heading downstream from all of the northern streams like the Nishne that H mentioned and the Tarkio that Mark mentioned. There are plenty more just like them that are feeding the muddy MO, so the water isn't anticipated to go down soon. Just talked to my brother and he hasn't heard yet if highway 36 is closed. I'm expecting it to be at this point, but after recent improvements they've built the highway up a lot, which may actually let him get to the western bluff wall along the river valley. Ugh ... the waiting to see what happens is worse than anything.