Mike Peregrine
EF5
Just to update river levels ... check out KC's this morning - well above flood stage. Here is St. Joseph, which appears to have leveled out at crest now.
Mark Manchester
EF1
I think one thing that might have helped St Joe is the there was a pretty good levy break in Holt Co near the Rulo bridge. When I was at work yesterday the state said they had no intention of closing it, then at around 10:30 or 11:00 last night they closed it due to high water on the Missouri side.
As for the SW Iowa flooding, I grew up in Shenandoah and this is the farthest I've seen the Nishna out of it's banks, including 93.
As for the SW Iowa flooding, I grew up in Shenandoah and this is the farthest I've seen the Nishna out of it's banks, including 93.
Mike Peregrine
EF5
The KC Star has good coverage this morning ... lots of great photos in the slideshow just below that graphic. EAX has updated their statements/briefings here. Rainfall totals from KC north are insane. Here's the story on the front page of MSNBC.
My brother got in trouble for being on the levee (I knew he would). Highway 36 has stayed open, though it must be sort of like driving across a lake around Elwood, KS.
Rain seems to be dwindling out of the forecast the rest of the week for points north along the river (for now). But I'm thinking that if we get another soaker even a week from now (which we could easily get this time of year), it will throw the system back into overdrive and we'll be back to square one. Wondering what our long-range forecasts are looking like from KC north through South Dakota by this time next week. It's a good thing there's not another chase op coming up soon because there's nothing more frustrating than seeing supercells on radar but not being able to drive to them for floodwater and closed roads.
My brother got in trouble for being on the levee (I knew he would). Highway 36 has stayed open, though it must be sort of like driving across a lake around Elwood, KS.
Rain seems to be dwindling out of the forecast the rest of the week for points north along the river (for now). But I'm thinking that if we get another soaker even a week from now (which we could easily get this time of year), it will throw the system back into overdrive and we'll be back to square one. Wondering what our long-range forecasts are looking like from KC north through South Dakota by this time next week. It's a good thing there's not another chase op coming up soon because there's nothing more frustrating than seeing supercells on radar but not being able to drive to them for floodwater and closed roads.
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Mark Manchester
EF1
Well the Nishnabotna in SW Iowa is still rising. They are sandbagging near the levees in Hamburg, IA and I-29 has now been closed from MM110 in Missouri north to MM10 in Iowa as the river has overflowed the banks there. Also didn't help that there was another levee break somewhere just south of the IA/MO border.
Van DeWald
EF2
Mark, I'm confused by your statement of a levee break. When a levee breaks, it typically alleviates the stage 'inside' the river channel, thus river levels go down. When the levee breaks, this allows flood waters to flow 'out' of the river channel, unfortunately into areas where you don't want the flood waters to go, hence the levee. If the river is still rising at Hamburg, it means that a levee hasn't broken yet. FWIW, it looks as if the river at Hamburg is cresting now around 32.5 feet. The levee is overtopped at Hamburg at 33 feet.
Mike Hollingshead
It's really now closed up into IA to MM10? I'm guessing that is Nebraska City and highway 2. Yesterday the signs on the interstate were saying it was closed there, but when I got there I found it open to at least Hamburg. It didn't appear that close to the interstate there either.
Also the east Nishnabotna had went down around Red Oak when I was there(could see where the highway was wet where it had been across it). Interesting if it's going up that much now.
Mike Peregrine
EF5
A good link to EAX's updated flood page. This is a cool product and the first time I've run across it. Looks like major flooding in several places, with most reporting moderate flood conditions in NW Missouri.
I came across a flood photo or two from Beatrice today - - looks like the Big Blue is way out of its banks.
IowaDOT is reporting 275 closed right now (I'm thinking that's the same as MM10/110, right? - that road that runs right alongside the Nishnabotna?). 333 is also closed out of Hamburg.
Here's Missouri road conditions. (The nice thing about that link is that it contains links to road conditions for all surrounding states too.)
I came across a flood photo or two from Beatrice today - - looks like the Big Blue is way out of its banks.
IowaDOT is reporting 275 closed right now (I'm thinking that's the same as MM10/110, right? - that road that runs right alongside the Nishnabotna?). 333 is also closed out of Hamburg.
Here's Missouri road conditions. (The nice thing about that link is that it contains links to road conditions for all surrounding states too.)
Mark Manchester
EF1
The levee break was south of Hamburg, in NW Missouri, and that was the reason I-29 was closed. As for the levee height, there are numerous low spots where the height is only at 31 or 32 feet which were being sandbagged to try and keep the river in at those locations.
Here's a report from KETV in Omaha: http://www.ketv.com/weather/13280793/detail.html
Mike, the reason is was closed at MM10 was to route people East to Highway 59 and down through Tarkio to Rock Port. They couldn't close it at MM1 due to the road East of Hamburg being closed.
Sorry if my earlier post was a little confusing.
Mike Hollingshead
http://www.extremeinstability.com/07-5-6.htm
http://www.extremeinstability.com/07-5-7.htm
Some images from sw IA flooding.
http://www.extremeinstability.com/07-5-7.htm
Some images from sw IA flooding.
cstrunk
EF3
I live near Shenandoah and I took some pictures of the flooding as it was near its worst in our area on Monday afternoon. These pictures are all from near the intersection of Hwy 59 and Ferguson Rd on the northwest edge of Shenandoah, except for one picture farther east on Ferguson Rd. Many people said these levels were close, but not quite as high as the floods in 1993. Shenandoah received around 7.5" of rain in a 4 day period spanning from Friday evening to Monday morning.
The first picture is taken at 59/Ferguson looking west towards the Nishnabotna River.
Looking north-northeast along Hwy 59.
The next two pictures are looking east from the intersection.
This is a picture of the livestock auction building on the north side of Ferguson just east of Hwy 59.
The last picture is looking north towards the trailer court that was evacuated. This is about a half mile east of Hwy 59 on Ferguson. The water is a few feet deep.
The first picture is taken at 59/Ferguson looking west towards the Nishnabotna River.
Looking north-northeast along Hwy 59.
The next two pictures are looking east from the intersection.
This is a picture of the livestock auction building on the north side of Ferguson just east of Hwy 59.
The last picture is looking north towards the trailer court that was evacuated. This is about a half mile east of Hwy 59 on Ferguson. The water is a few feet deep.
Rich Thompson
EF3
All this talk of flooding has just reminded me of how dry it had been across OK the past few years. We've had 6-7 inches of rain over much of the Lake Thunderbird watershed during the past few days, and all this did is bring the lake to almost normal pool elevation. I wish I could say the same for my well and septic system 
Growing up in Houston, flooding was an almost annual occurrence. I miss that here in OK...
Rich T.
Growing up in Houston, flooding was an almost annual occurrence. I miss that here in OK...
Rich T.
cstrunk
EF3
Also, as of today the east Nishnabotna River near Shenandoah was back in its banks thanks in part to a few levee breaks down river which eased the flooding farther north by us. Pretty amazing to see all of that water on Monday and then on Wednesday evening the river was back in its banks!
Mike Peregrine
EF5
When I was a kid it was an annual event to have the floods come in across the valley. There were many times that we helped relatives at Big Lake move their furniture to high ground. My dad even had a jeep that was outfitted with the exhaust above so we could drive through flood water, and we did. That river valley was made for floods. Even though now there are lots of homes/farms/businesses across the river bottoms, I'm almost glad to see the water come back in a way ... just because it shows that no matter what man tries to do to tame it, it's still a wild thing beyond our reach.
Mark Manchester
EF1
Those are some great images Mike and cstrunk. Mike, I believe the photos you had where you were unsure of the location were from the West side of the same bridge that cstrunk photographed. You would have been right next to the old drive-in theater on old Highway 2. I think the only thing left to indicate it was there are the 2 small brick walls indicating the entrance.
I can't ever remember the water crossing Ferguson Road there, even in 93. Amazing..
I can't ever remember the water crossing Ferguson Road there, even in 93. Amazing..
cstrunk
EF3
Mark, you're correct. Mike H. was photographing the west side of the same bridge that I shot from the east side. I'm not sure what the highway is named now, but it's old highway 2 and turns into Ferguson Rd in Shenandoah.
