1
Meetings on flood repair, preparedness set at Wappapello Lake
(02/21/12)
WAPPAPELLO, Mo. -- Public meetings have been scheduled at Wappapello Lake to discuss flood repair, flood preparedness, water control procedures and dam safety. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will meet with the public at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center to provide information and answer questions on water control procedures and Corps-funded recovery efforts following flood damage caused by extreme high water in spring 2011...
![[SeMissourian.com]](http://www.semissourian.com/images/nameplate.png)
|
|
A Few Clouds ~ River stage: 14.04 ft. Rising Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012 |
|
|
|
Documents Click on the document name to download it in PDF form.
Judge Limbaugh's ruling authorizing the Corps to breach the Birds Point levee Corps of Engineers informational paper on the New Madrid Floodway Map of potential impacts without intentional Birds Point levee breach Map of the impact of an intentional Birds Point levee breach |
Soybean harvest in the floodway
 Steve Wright harvests soybeans near Wyatt, Mo., in fields covered with floodwaters after the intentional breach of the Birds Point Levee. It took about two months for the waters to receded and although soybeans were planted one to two months later... Headlines 
McCaskill grills Corps of Engineers nominee about Birds Point
(02/10/12)
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' intentional breaching of a levee in Southeast Missouri last year was front and center on Capitol Hill on Thursday, as U.S. Sen Claire McCaskill grilled the nominee looking to become the corps' next commander...
Levee group plans weekend meeting in Columbia
(02/10/12)
NEW MADRID, Mo. - The Missouri Levee and Drainage District Association is meeting this weekend in Columbia to talk about recovering from last year's heavy flooding. The association says speakers at Saturday's event will include Gov. Jay Nixon, Sens. Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer and Vicky Hartzler, who will talk about legislative efforts to provide funding for repairs... 
On 75th anniversary, flood of '37 draws parallels to, questions about last year's high water
(02/05/12)
"You can drown downtown, when the water is high It's been happening here, since I was a child There ain't nothing you can do to stop it Just hope for the best, and mop up the rest." -- "Get Down, River," by the Bottle Rockets... 
Corps: Damage from 2011 floods could mean more danger in 2012
(01/27/12)
NEW ORLEANS -- Damage from last year's record spring floods could leave many people along the Mississippi River in even more danger this year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday. It says it's assessing the damage to levees, structures and navigation channels, and will begin notifying affected communities in February...
Mississippi County road near levee may be closed
(01/20/12)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County Commissioners are looking into temporarily closing a road to keep motorists from getting stuck. Commissioners met Wednesday for their regular weekly meeting due to a scheduling conflict. During the meeting, Presiding Commissioner Carlin Bennett said commissioners need to take some action on County Road 520... 
USDA announces $308 million in aid to states; Missouri to receive about $49 million
(01/18/12)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The nation's top agriculture official is expected to announce Wednesday more than $300 million in emergency assistance to 33 states and Puerto Rico to help them recover from an unusually intense year for natural disasters across the U.S...
Outreach workers still helping people affected by 2011 flooding
(01/05/12)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Although a new year has begun, flood survivors continue to cope with grief and losses they suffered last year. "The water is gone, but the recovery takes time," said Phyllis Rowe, team leader for Show-Me Recovery, a crisis counseling program funded by a grant through the Federal Emergency Management System and the Department of Mental Health... 
Happy Helpers Pantry volunteers keep people fed in Alexander County
(01/01/12)
TAMMS, Ill. -- The volunteer operators of Happy Helpers Pantry plan to use donations raised for last spring's flood victims to keep working toward a goal established nearly 30 years ago -- to provide as much free food as possible to local people in need... 
Corps: Birds Point 'No. 1 priority' with new funds
(12/30/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is getting $800 million in federal disaster relief funds to make repairs along the flood-ravaged Mississippi River, corps officials announced Thursday. And the corps called fixing the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway the "number one priority" with those dollars...
Panel: Corps not to blame for Missouri River flood
(12/20/11)
HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- An expert panel says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was not to blame for record Missouri River flooding this year, but that changes could help avoid a disastrous repeat. A report to be released Tuesday by the corps says that current manuals and procedures could be improved and updated to recognize the more recent weather extremes following "unprecedented levels of runoff that could not be predicted in advance."... 
Corps wraps up work at Birds Point for winter
(12/16/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- For more than seven months, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has worked to undo some of the damage it caused in May when three holes were blasted in the Birds Point-New Madrid levee. With work coming to a halt this week until warmer weather returns next year, corps officials Thursday met with farmers and local officials to discuss what looks to be a winter of uncertainty... 
Crop insurance rates skyrocket after spring, summer floods
(12/15/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Midwestern farmers who saw their land swamped by summer flooding may be socked again with steep increases in their crop insurance premiums, the expensive result of the failure to fix broken levees before the winter snow and next spring's rains.
Mo. gets $5M disaster-recovery grant from FEMA
(12/08/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri is getting more than $5 million from the federal government to help in the long-term recovery for people hit by tornadoes and flooding. The grant announced Wednesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be available to help people hit by tornadoes in the Joplin and St. Louis areas, as well as flooding along the Mississippi River and in southern Missouri...
Corps of Engineers shutting down levee work at Birds Point
(12/07/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has ordered work to rebuild the Birds Point levee to stop. Due to National Weather Service forecasts of unseasonably high river levels and more to come, Maj. Gen. John Peabody, commander of the corps' Mississippi Valley Division, has directed an orderly shutdown of construction in the floodway project area and the installation of a temporary flood barrier at the upper crevasse. ...
Flooded roads in Southeast Missouri
(12/06/11)
Some roads in Southeast Missouri remain closed today due to flooding from recent heavy rains. MoDOT released the following list this afternoon: n Route142 -from Rt. H in Ripley Co. to Rt. EE in Butler Co. n Route N - from CRD 243 to CRD 232 n Route V-from Madison County Line to Rt. F...
Corps of Engineers warns of possible river flooding in Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
(12/06/11)
Unseasonably high river levels have created worry among farmers and government officials about the possibility of renewed flooding in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. More than 3 inches of rain has pelted the area in two days, prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue an advisory
Additional disaster project for Mississippi County approved
(12/04/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County will get to submit one more disaster relief project to FEMA. "The commission has received approval" to turn in the after-deadline project, County Clerk Junior DeLay told commissioners during their regular weekly meeting Thursday...
Nixon says corps' first responsibility is quick fix of levees
(11/25/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon says fixing levees along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers should be job No. 1 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this winter and coming spring. Speaking at a mid-Missouri farm that had experienced some flooding during the summer's record Missouri River rise, Nixon said it is essential for Missouri's agricultural economy that levees damaged by the summer floods be rebuilt, and in a hurry...
Missouri House disaster response committee delays report
(11/18/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Disaster Recovery want more time to finish a report on the committee's findings. The committee spent about an hour-and-a-half Thursday looking over a draft of a report pulled together after several hearings in various parts of the state during the last six months...
Corps working round-the-clock to rebuild Birds Point levee ahead of bad weather
(11/15/11)
More than six months after the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway levee was intentionally breached, the threat of rain has again become the enemy of Mississippi County farmers desperate to have crop-saving flood protection. With Monday's storms and a chance of precipitation predicted for seven of the next nine days, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working round-the-clock to repair the three places it blew with explosives in May...
Corps of Engineer general who ordered levee breach assigned to D.C.
(11/04/11)
A change of command for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Mississippi Valley Division is coming next week. According to a corps news release, Maj. Gen. Michael J. Walsh will transfer command of the division to Maj. Gen. John W. Peabody on Thursday. The quarterly newsletter of the corps said Walsh will become deputy commanding general for civil and emergency operations in Washington, D.C. ... 
Mo. disaster bill at $15 million so far, likely to rise
(11/04/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri has spent about $15 million so far this year responding to natural disasters such as the deadly Joplin tornado and flooding along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. State budget director Linda Luebbering says the tally primarily reflects costs incurred by the Missouri National Guard and the State Emergency Management Agency. Some of those expenses may be reimbursed later by the federal government...
Mississippi County explores other ways to fund flood repairs
(10/30/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County may get assistance on disaster recovery costs not covered by FEMA from another federal program. During their regular meeting Thursday, county commissioners approved applying for a special Community Development Block Grant which if awarded would pay the 25 percent not covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency...
Corps of Engineers dedicates $6.6 million to fix levee system at Cairo
(10/25/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has allocated $6.6 million to address seepage issues in the Cairo levee that was almost lost during this spring's flooding. 
Corps gets $3 million to repair Birds Point to 55 feet
(10/23/11)
DORENA, Mo. -- If the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could order up 80 straight days of weather like Friday's -- 65 degrees and sunny -- then the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway would be rebuilt to 55 feet by the middle of February. But corps officials said Friday at a news conference they know not many days like that remain, leaving Mississippi County residents with months of uncertainty before the threat of flooding returns next spring... 
Corps of Engineers says levee will be rebuilt to 55 feet
(10/21/11)
Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday the only thing stopping them from raising the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway levee an additional four feet was $2.7 million.
FEMA wraps up public cost evaluations in Mississippi County
(10/16/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- FEMA has left the county. The Federal Emergency Management Agency's project specialist assigned to Mississippi County conducted an exit conference with county officials Thursday following the county commission meeting. "They've completed all the project worksheets," County Clerk Junior DeLay said during the meeting. "They'll be leaving this week."... 
Floodway farmers begin harvest of soybeans planted after levee breach
(10/10/11)
As Steve Wright's combine rolls through golden fields of soybeans, he remembers crossing those same fertile fields in a boat just days after the Birds Point levee breach. "People that don't live here don't know what it means. It's not just a piece of ground. It's your heart and soul," said Wright, who manages Glen Hillhouse Farms near Wyatt, Mo... 
Olive Branch, Dutchtown still working toward flood buyouts
(10/09/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Seven months before the waters stole almost everything, James Dunn thought he had found the home he would live in for the rest of his life. He and his wife Shirley had been moving from place to place over their 45 years of marriage, going where the work was. The hunt for steady jobs in construction took him from eastern Missouri to western Kentucky and a few spots in between...
MoDOT allowing heavier loads for repair of levees
(10/09/11)
The Missouri Department of Transportation will allow heavier-than-normal loads of sand and gravel to be transported on selected roadways this week during repair of levees in Southeast Missouri. According to a release from MoDOT, private and for-hire motor carriers may carry up to 10 percent more than their licensed weight. ... 
Corps gets closer to finishing temporary fix at Birds Point levee
(09/29/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is scheduled to wrap up interim repairs early next month on one of three spots in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway levee that it blasted in May. The other breaches -- made in a controversial move to alleviate massive spring flooding -- are expected to be finished by Nov. 30, corps officials said Wednesday... 
Shutdown averted? FEMA has enough disaster money
(09/26/11)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After weeks of political brinkmanship in Congress, the threat of a partial government shutdown appeared to ease Monday with the disclosure that money to aid victims of natural disasters may last through the end of the budget year after all... 
Senate blocks House disaster aid bill
(09/23/11)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Democratic-led Senate blocked a House-passed bill on Friday that would provide disaster aid and keep government agencies open, escalating the parties' latest showdown over spending and highlighting the raw partisan rift that has festered all year... 
Receding Missouri River reveals badly damaged land
(09/23/11)
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- As the Missouri River slowly recedes, farmers seeing their fields for the first time since June are encountering sand dunes, strange debris and deep gouges the floodwaters carved into their once-fertile land. The soil quality has also been diminished because the floodwaters killed off many of the microbes that help crops grow and compacted the soil...
Morehouse to celebrate flood recovery Saturday
(09/23/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- After five months of cleaning up debris and rebuilding their homes, Morehouse residents may be ready for a night off from work and worries. A flood recovery celebration is planned for Saturday at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center in Morehouse... 
House GOP regroups after loss on disaster spending bill
(09/22/11)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Republicans grappled Thursday with ways to revive a must pass measure to provide billions of dollars in much-needed disaster relief and prevent a government shutdown at the end of next week. GOP leaders scheduled a closed-door meeting with the rank and file to sort through options to resolve the problem in the wake of Wednesday's 230-195 rejection of a $3.7 billion disaster aid measure that was attached to a stopgap funding bill to keep the government running into mid-November. ... 
Corps backs study of its handling of Missouri River
(09/18/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After months of sustained, historic Midwest flooding and criticism that the government bungled its management of the Missouri River, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Friday it has commissioned a study of its handling of the waterway...
Mississippi County awaits word on FEMA flood funds
(09/18/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County officials are hoping a freeze on FEMA funding thaws out as expected. The status of disaster relief reimbursements from FEMA were again the chief topic of discussion during the Mississippi County Commission's regular meeting Thursday... 
Corps pegs 2011 flood damage at $2 billion
(09/16/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Army Corps of Engineers estimates it will cost more than $2 billion to repair the damage to the nation's levees, dams and riverbanks caused by this year's excessive flooding, a sum that dwarfs $150 million it currently has to make such repairs and that doesn't account for damage from Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee... 
Hundreds attend East Prairie premiere of film about levee breach
(09/12/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- "Man Made: Disaster at Birds Point" was a big hit at its premiere Friday. The short documentary film produced by Osborn and Barr, a communications company in St. Louis specializing in agriculture, begins with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' decision to breach the Birds Point-New Madrid levee with explosives at three sites alongside the Mississippi River to activate the floodway...
Engineer: Some bridges in floodway not cost-effective to rebuild
(09/11/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Repairs on some of the bridges in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway would be a waste of money. Dennis Cox, an engineer for Smith and Company of Poplar Bluff, presented the Mississippi County Commission with his preliminary engineering report for bridges located on county roads 310, 312 and 521...
Missouri lawmakers vote to tap rainy day fund for disaster recovery
(09/09/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Missouri House has voted to use $150 million from the state's rainy day fund for disaster relief. But the vote may be mostly symbolic. Under the Missouri Constitution, the governor sets the agenda for special sessions. And Gov. Jay Nixon did not include the rainy day fund on his agenda...
Mo. lawmaker wants to tap reserve for disasters
(09/08/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The top budget official in the Missouri House is proposing to use up to $150 million from the state's rainy day fund for disaster relief. House Budget Chairman Ryan Silvey has filed legislation to tap the reserve fund, even though Gov. Jay Nixon did not include the topic on the agenda for this week's special session...
Highway officials discuss solutions for rebuilding road at Wappapello
(09/04/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- One possible fix for the flood-damaged section of Route T at Wappapello Lake would have a permanent road in place within a year, highway officials told U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt on Wednesday during an informational tour of the damage...
McCaskill pledges to secure full FEMA funding for Missouri
(09/04/11)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Sen. Claire McCaskill says she's confident Missouri will get the full amount of federal disaster funding it is due despite a funding crisis at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Speaking to reporters in Columbia, Mo., this week, McCaskill said Missouri's congressional delegation would stand together and make sure recovery efforts in Joplin and flood damaged parts of the state would remain a top priority for FEMA, even as the agency faces the possibility of running out of emergency funds by the end of September.. ... 
Birds Point Levee work resumes after business lifts protest
(09/02/11)
Work to repair the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway resumed Thursday morning, after a Missouri Bootheel construction company dropped its dispute that a Las Vegas-based company didn't meet federal small-business requirements. Donald Bond Construction of New Madrid County filed an official protest late last week on the grounds that Wadley Construction of Nevada wasn't a small business, said U.S. ... 
Buyouts of Pinhook, Morehouse among topics at round-table discussion with Sen. Blunt
(09/02/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- The possible government buyouts of Pinhook and Morehouse, two Southeast Missouri communities devastated by spring flooding, were among the topics that U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt heard about Thursday afternoon during a round-table discussion on infrastructure damage from spring flooding... 
Gov. Nixon seeks details on FEMA funding
(09/01/11)
ST. LOUIS -- Disaster-struck communities counting on federal aid for recovery need to know which rebuilding projects will be delayed as money is shifted to other parts of the country, Missouri's governor told the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.
Two state parks in floodway to reopen Friday
(08/31/11)
Two state parks that have been closed since the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway was inundated in early May will reopen Friday. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources said in a news release Tuesday that Big Oak Tree State Park and Towosahgy State Historic Site in Mississippi County -- covered with 12 to 16 feet of water and sand following the May levee breach -- are set to reopen... 
FEMA holds some Joplin money to help with Irene aftermath
(08/30/11)
ST. LOUIS -- The federal government has frozen some aid to tornado- and flood-ravaged Missouri and the South to focus on immediate help for victims of Hurricane Irene, disappointing residents and officials who said Monday they still need help.
Corps takes next steps to repair Birds Point
(08/28/11)
The endangered birds that were holding up repairs on a section of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway have vacated their nests, which will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to continue working on providing area farmers some level of flood protection. 
Wildlife in floodway suffer habitat loss after levee breach
(08/25/11)
Hunters, whose beagles run after them through the Mississippi River bottoms, call them "swampers." Swamp rabbits, popular with small-game hunters in the Birds Point New Madrid Floodway, were nearly wiped out when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally blew up the Birds Point levee May 2...
Mo. lawmakers want feds to pay for flood damage
(08/23/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Some Missouri lawmakers want to challenge the federal government before paying a portion of the damage costs from flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Typically, the federal government pays many of the immediate costs for disaster response and aid, then bills state and local government for 25 percent of the total...
Disasters won't be part of Missouri special session
(08/22/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- It appears Missouri lawmakers will not be discussing natural disasters or the issue of recovery when they return to Jefferson City next month. Gov. Jay Nixon did not include disaster recovery on the agenda for the special legislative session that he called on Monday. Nixon says damage assessments from the natural disasters have not yet been completed. The governor had indicated earlier this summer that disaster recovery would be included in the special session...
Blunt: Funding for Mississippi, Missouri River levee repair inadequate
(08/21/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt calls funding for levee repair and replacement along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers is inadequate. In a conference call with reporters, Blunt says he was worried about the funding request for the rivers in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' budget even before flooding began on the two rivers. He says the president's budget request rests too heavily on issues other than flooding and river control...
Missouri auditor questions Nixon's budget cuts
(08/19/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich is questioning whether Gov. Jay Nixon exceeded his authority when he made budget cuts partly to help pay for disaster response. The Republican auditor sent a letter Friday to the Democratic governor outlining his concerns... 
Missouri state officials unsure of disasters' cost
(08/17/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri officials said Tuesday it was too soon to project how much the state will need to pay for responding to this year's spate of natural disasters.
State senator: Missouri shouldn't pay for Birds Point-New Madrid floodway cleanup
(08/16/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A state senator says the state should not be responsible for any costs incurred in the Southeast Missouri flood zone. Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers created a disaster when they made the decision to flood thousands of acres in Southeast Missouri by destroying a portion of the Birds Point Levee in May. At the time, the corps said the destruction of the levee was necessary to reduce flooding in Cairo, Ill., and other towns in the area... 
Corps problem: Many demand Southeast Missouri levees rebuilt to 62 feet at public hearing
(08/16/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- From the signs being held along the shore to the words being said aboard the ship, the message Monday was resounding: Rebuild the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. Not to 51 feet, as proposed, but to 62 feet -- the level in place before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blasted three holes in the levee in May as part of its plan to fight record-setting floodwaters... 
Smelly surprises lurk beneath Missouri River
(08/15/11)
OMAHA, Neb. -- When the Missouri River's floodwaters recede this fall, piles of debris, silt and some smelly surprises will be revealed. It's hard to say exactly what's hiding under the waters, but experts said it is certain that this year's epic flood will leave behind a mammoth mess once the water returns to within the Missouri River's banks... 
Morehouse celebrates reopening of post office after spring floods
(08/07/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Neither rain nor snow nor dark of night can keep the postman from his rounds, but high water can run him out of his post office. On Thursday, Morehouse officials gathered to mark the reopening of the local facility at 520 Beech St., after spring floods forced its closure...
Mississippi County rates condition of bridges in spillway
(07/31/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Four A's, a B, four C's, 2 D's and an F probably would be frowned upon as a student report card but Mississippi County's floodway bridges could have done a lot worse. Dennis Cox, an engineer for Smith and Co. in Poplar Bluff, presented county commissioners with the inspection report on the 11 bridges in the spillway during their regular meeting Thursday...
Missouri House disaster committee recommends using "rainy day fund"
(07/31/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Missouri House committee recommends using the state's Rainy Day Fund in addition to other sources of revenue as part of the state's response to clean up and recovery from the spring storms of 2011. The House Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery Friday turned in its report to Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, after a series of hearings throughout regions of the state affected by tornadoes and floods. ...
FEMA extends deadline, announces closure of center in Morehouse
(07/29/11)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended its disaster assistance application deadline to Aug. 26 for renters, homeowners and business owners who suffered damages from severe storms, tornadoes and floods. "Don't prejudge your situation or feel that you may be taking something away from your neighbor," Federal Coordinating Officer Libby Turner said in a news release. "We want to make every effort to reach all Missourians and ensure that they receive assistance for eligible losses."... 
22 working in area disaster recovery program; more start this week
(07/27/11)
Under a scorching summer sun, with the heat index hovering at 100 degrees, Don Freeman and Oscar Patterson slap shovelfuls of asphalt onto Scott County Road 212. It's hot, hard work. But after months of standing in unemployment lines, they say it's work they are grateful to have. They're proud to be earning a paycheck again...
State committee urges discussion of using reserve funds for disaster response
(07/26/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri House committee reviewing disaster response is recommending that lawmakers debate whether to tap a reserve fund to help pay for recovery. Speaker Pro Tem Shane Schoeller, a Republican from Willard, is the chairman of the committee. Schoeller says the panel wants the full House to consider drawing from the state's "rainy day fund" to pay for disaster recovery and establishing a committee to oversee the funds... 
Closure of Missouri River to barges will have little effect on local traffic
(07/26/11)
The closure of the Missouri River to barge traffic isn't expected to have much effect on the Mississippi River's traffic. Although most of the barge traffic along the Missouri River eventually ends up coming up or down the Mississippi, "tonnage on the Missouri River is not huge," said John LaRandeau, navigation program manager for the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "It's important to that region, but it's a very minor impact."...
Blunt: Disaster funding from FEMA should come through
(07/24/11)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Roy Blunt says Missouri should receive full funding from FEMA for the state's string of natural disasters despite the agency's looming shortfall. The Obama administration has declared 54 major disasters in the wake of storms and floods throughout the U.S., this year. ...
FEMA warns of deadline approaching for individual assistance
(07/22/11)
Missouri homeowners or renters affected by flooding or tornadoes have until July 29 to register for FEMA individual assistance, according to FEMA spokesman John Mills. Mills said anyone affected by disasters from April 19 through June 6 may call 1-800-621-3362 to register. He said small-interest loans for disaster victims are also available through the Small Business Administration. That organization can be reached by calling (916) 717-5854...
Cape pumping stations close after 90-day mark
(07/20/11)
With the Mississippi River continuing to inch downward, Cape Girardeau's two pumping stations finally were shut down Monday afternoon after 90 straight days of making sure stormwaters didn't invade the city's downtown streets and businesses. City crews had to man the riverside stations round-the-clock, standing at the ready to flip switches that had the potential to send nearly 110,000 gallons a minute from the stormwater system into an already overflowing river...
Senators warn of possible FEMA shortfall
(07/19/11)
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senators are warning that the Federal Emergency Management Agency may be running out of money. During a subcommittee hearing into federal response to spring disasters, including the Joplin tornado, Sens. Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas, and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, said FEMA may need to rethink the way it classifies and responds to disasters. ... 
Corps too slow in repairing levee, Emerson says
(07/17/11)
WYATT, Mo. -- The heavy equipment pushing dirt along the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway was a welcome sight to Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who toured the area Saturday.
More than 130 claimants join floodway lawsuit against federal government
(07/15/11)
Daniel Babb looks across his sodden farmland and sees lost opportunity. He hears the planting season's clock ticking, and he worries about all he stands to lose. 
Sprouting up: Nixon visits slowly healing New Madrid floodway
(07/14/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Jay Nixon on Wednesday saw wide sections of scoured farmland, broken levees that have yet to be repaired and propane tanks that litter a usually scenic Missouri state park. But those images from the still lingering effects of the intentional breaching of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway weren't the strongest ones Missouri's governor left with... 
Gov. Nixon to survey Birds Point today
(07/13/11)
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon will be in Mississippi County this afternoon to survey the progress being made to rebuild sections of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway levee that were intentionally breached in May. He will also inspect flood damage at Big Oak Tree State Park in East Prairie, Mo... 
FEMA flood buyouts top $2B since 1993
(07/13/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Standing in the front yard of her former childhood home, Claudia Boyce looks across the street to the site of the wooden-framed Methodist church where people had gathered along the banks of the Missouri River since 1878. There's no trace of it now. Gone, too, is her family's yellow, two-story home, the Baptist church to her right, the row of neighbors' homes to her left, even most of the trees. 
Southern Illinois residents considering flood buyout option
(07/11/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Two days after Easter, Clinton and Susan Pecord watched as floodwaters rose about an inch per hour. They'd already moved most of their belongings out of their home in the old Alexander County town of Cache, Ill., about two miles from the Highway 127 and Highway 3 intersection. A few days later, they brought in a pontoon to haul out their furniture... 
Insurance agents along Missouri River complain FEMA creating confusion
(07/11/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Insurance agents in states along the swollen Missouri River basin say federal officials are causing widespread confusion among property owners by pushing the sale of flood insurance policies that might not cover damage from the river flooding that began this month...
High water indefinitely delays part of Big Bend Road project
(07/10/11)
The part of Big Bend Road Road that runs alongside Linda Shirrell's home was only supposed to be closed for about 30 days. That would give the contractor enough time to widen the two-block stretch near Sloan Creek Bridge before moving on to the next section... 
Flood damage to county, state roads tops $81 million
(07/10/11)
Months after the floodwaters receded, miles and miles of Southeast Missouri roads are still in need of repairs. The Missouri Department of Transportation has already shelled out $1.2 million in its Southeast District to fix flood-damaged roads. Damage to state and county roads as a result of this spring's severe flooding exceeds $81 million, according to estimates provided to the Southeast Missourian by MoDOT and individual counties...
Area Red Cross has had busy year
(07/10/11)
For Gail and Peter Tinsley, the flood of 2011 was personal. The Poplar Bluff, Mo., couple spent a frenzied week in late April helping more than 300 of their friends and fellow community members displaced when the Black River surged over its levee and deluged much of the city...
SEMO prof expects high mosquito numbers in Missouri
(07/10/11)
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (AP) -- A Southeast Missouri State University biology professor says the mosquito population is exploding in flooded parts of the state, but they're not the kind that carry the West Nile virus. Christina Frazier says the St. Louis County Health Department already is collecting five times as many mosquitoes in traps each night as it normally would...
FEMA resource center to reopen in Cairo
(07/10/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- FEMA's temporary Disaster Recovery Center in Cairo will reopen Monday through Saturday at Emerson Elementary School, 3101 Elm St. The DRC will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. ... 
Ag secretary questions Corps on Missouri flooding
(07/08/11)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has taken the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to task for its handling of the Missouri River in a letter questioning its decision not to release more water from dams earlier in the spring to prevent prolonged flooding this summer...
State announces job program for Southeast Missouri flood cleanup
(07/08/11)
Ten workers started cleaning up flood damage in Morehouse, Mo., Wednesday as part of a new state program to put unemployed Missourians to work.
FEMA closing Sikeston disaster recovery center Saturday
(07/08/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Scott County residents looking for assistance to recover from this spring's flooding will have one less resource at hand after Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced the closing of the FEMA/State Disaster Recovery Center at 103 S. Kingshighway in Sikeston at 6 p.m. Saturday... 
Buyers not put off by rising price of Southeast Missouri farmland
(07/07/11)
With a weak dollar and a shaky stock market, farmland is becoming an increasingly appealing investment. Agricultural real estate broker Ken Cantrell of Cape Girardeau has a long waiting list of potential buyers looking for farms in Southeast Missouri. They aren't put off by record land prices, either...
Authorities go silent on discovery of bones in floodway
(07/07/11)
Scores of bone fragments unearthed when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blasted the Birds Point-New Madrid levee could fall prey to looters and morbid treasure collectors, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. But while securing and mitigating the 6.5-acre site of the potentially ancient remains could take months, there will be no delay in rebuilding the levee, a corps spokesman assures... 
State disaster committee hears input on spring flooding
(07/03/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Members of the Missouri House of Representatives' Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery listened for over four hours Thursday in Sikeston as the public voiced their opinions on how the state can aid them in recovering from recent flooding...
Flood damage at Wappapello between $20 million and $30 million
(07/03/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- Officials estimate the Wappapello Lake project area sustained between $20 million and $30 million in damage as a result of record flooding in April and May. A separate cost of $1.5 million to $2 million is projected to repair a more than 300 foot section of Route T ripped away when waters topped the emergency spillway... 
Nixon pledges additional $100 million for disaster relief
(07/01/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has pledged an additional $100 million in state disaster aid following the deadly tornado in Joplin and continued flooding across the state. Nixon's announcement Friday raises Missouri's total financial commitment to $150 million for a particularly devastating few months of natural disasters... 
SEMO Port director: Other ports in region won't be dredged, either
(07/01/11)
The Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority won't be alone this year as it searches for funding to dredge its harbor. According to Dan Overbey, director of the port authority, seven of the nine ports in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis district have recently found out they also will no longer receive the dredging services done by the corps in the past. ... 
Corps of Engineers monitoring New Madrid river level
(07/01/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials met Thursday to discuss whether further action would be needed to stop a continually rising river from overtopping the levee in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway.
EPA tests show contamination levels normal in Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
(06/29/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Environmental Protection Agency says tests on receding floodwaters in Southeast Missouri's Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway showed contamination below levels that would raise health concerns. The EPA's regional office in Kansas City, Kan., said Tuesday that the nine samples of water collected from the floodway area showed contamination levels "typically found" in the Mississippi River...
Disaster assistance deadline extended to July 29
(06/28/11)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has extended the deadline to register for state and federal disaster assistance to July 29. Renters, homeowners and businesses in the following 25 Missouri counties are eligible to apply: Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Newton, Pemiscot, Pettis, Phelps, Pulaski, Reynolds, Ripley, St. ...
DNR now involved in investigation of bones found in floodway
(06/28/11)
The bones of Mississippi County are calling, and the dead unearthed in the floods of 2011 appear to be from Southeast Missouri's ancient tribal communities. Several weeks after bone fragments were first discovered near the north end of the blown Birds Point-New Madrid levee, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and state archaeologists have taken the lead in uncovering who the remains belong to. ...
FEMA opens disaster recovery centers in Southern Illinois
(06/28/11)
Two Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Recovery Centers will open in Southern Illinois to answer questions about FEMA and other federal, state and volunteer agencies. Both centers are open from 9 to 7 a.m. The locations are: For more information on locations, days and hours of operation, services offered and driving directions go online to www.fema.gov or call 800-621-3362. For assistance any time call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362...
EPA: Floodway water shows typical contamination
(06/28/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency says tests on receding floodwaters in Southeast Missouri's Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway showed contamination below levels that would raise health concerns. The EPA's regional office in Kansas City, Kan., said Tuesday that the nine samples of water collected from the floodway area showed contamination levels "typically found" in the Mississippi River... 
Many in Morehouse still angry at MoDOT for building berm to save U.S. 60
(06/27/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- The flood that threatened Morehouse was an act of God, but many in this water-ravaged New Madrid County city still believe their ruin was man-made. Two months after much of the community was swallowed up by floodwaters, residents remain angry about the Missouri Department of Transportation's decision April 28 to build an earthen berm to keep U.S. ... 
Visitors from Asia tour the spillway to gain insight
(06/27/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County officials hosted visitors from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand on a tour of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. By viewing the area firsthand, the visitors hoped to gain insight on the breaches blasted into the levee by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the effect of the subsequent flooding in the spillway...
Corps of Engineers may raise southern crevasse to protect floodway
(06/26/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers crews are assessing a possible need to raise an area in the southernmost crevasse in the Birds Point-New Madrid levee today as water at the Ohio River gauge at Cairo, Ill., continues to climb toward a 41.5-foot crest forecast for early Sunday morning... 
Dutchtown residents discuss flood buyout
(06/24/11)
Gene Dumi has seen floodwaters pour into her home more than three times. She has a problem with mold in her house from previous floods, and after the most recent flooding of Dutchtown she has moved in with her son. 
Hope growing in flood-scarred Morehouse, volunteer says
(06/24/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Tim Russell and his army of hope waded into Morehouse in early May, just after the floods of 2011 swallowed up much of the small New Madrid County community. Russell, CEO and president of Bernie, Mo.-based Hope International, keeps a stark photograph in his mind. It's a picture of a family pulling up to their water-ravaged home in a johnboat, piling in whatever remained of their soaked possessions. Their heads were down; they had lost everything... 
Some Morehouse residents run into trouble with FEMA over eligibility
(06/24/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Beulah and Junior Ray Parker lost their home and most everything they owned when the floods of 2011 washed out much of Morehouse. Nearly two months later, the elderly couple is staying in the one-room living quarters of a former firehouse in Sikeston, Mo., just thankful they're no longer cramped in a 17-foot camper beneath an ancient oak tree in their backyard... 
Corps of Engineers works to shore up floodway levee before river rises
(06/24/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Now at the one-week mark since rebuilding began on the Birds Point-New Madrid levee, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working quickly to construct a berm to a section of the levee to ensure the floodway doesn't take on water during a rise of the Mississippi River forecast for this weekend...
Beach at Lake Wappapello to remain closed
(06/24/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Swimming beaches at the Lake of the Ozarks and Lake Wappapello will remain closed. The state Department of Natural Resources says Grand Glaize Beach at Lake of the Ozarks would be closed because water samples found high levels of E. coli bacteria. A second beach at the Lake of the Ozarks in Kaiser is open...
Cape County Commission appoints disabilities board members; buyout meeting in Dutchtown tonight
(06/24/11)
The Cape Girardeau County Commission reappointed two members to the Cape County Board for Developmental Disabilities at its Thursday meeting. Jim Andrews and Dixie McCollum were given three-year terms. Andrews has been on the board since 2002 and is the second-longest serving member after Arlysse Popp. ...
Deadline to apply for disaster benefits looms
(06/22/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The deadline is approaching for victims of Missouri's recent storms, flooding and tornadoes to register for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline for all storm survivors from around the state is July 8...
State disaster committee encourages public to attend Sikeston meeting
(06/22/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- A state legislative committee formed to address disaster recovery will meet later this month in Sikeston. The Interim Committee on Disaster Recovery will meet at 1 p.m. June 30 at the Clinton Community Building, 501 Campanella Drive, according to a news release. The committee will look at continuing efforts to help areas of Missouri affecting by spring disasters including flooding and tornadoes and research how the state can best aid in the immediate recovery process...
MU estimates floodway crop loss at $85 million
(06/21/11)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri economists estimate about $85 million in potential crop value lost from blowing out the Birds Point levee on the Mississippi River. The university's Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute said Monday that the economic loss climbs to about $156.7 million when other economic changes are factored in. FAPRI estimated current-year plantings and potential yields based on U.S. Department of Agriculture records... 
Flood of business: With epic spring rains, storms and floods, it hasn't exactly been 'business as usual' in Southeast Missouri
(06/20/11)
It's been almost two months since heavy rainfall dumped over a foot of water on Southeast Missouri, flooding roads, homes, farmland and businesses. Though much of the water has receded, local businesses are still dealing with water damage and mold growth... 
Levees breached, overtopped in northern Missouri
(06/20/11)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Several levees in northern Missouri were failing Sunday to hold back the surge of water being released from upstream dams. Authorities said water -- some of it from recent rain -- began pouring over levees Saturday night and Sunday morning in Holt and Atchison counties, flooding farmland and numerous homes and cabins...
River rising again at Cape
(06/19/11)
After staying steady, around 35 feet, for weeks now, the Mississippi River is again rising at Cape Girardeau. Flooding along the Missouri River and precipitation forecast in the St. Louis area will cause the river to swell again over the next few days, according to Jayson Wilson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah... 
The death of Pinhook: Community will never return after flooding, residents say
(06/17/11)
When Anita Nance dreams, it's almost always of Pinhook. Her house, surrounded by what seemed like a thousand trees. Sunday mornings at Union Baptist Church. Countless friends swarming to Mr. George's huge yard or biking up the meandering county road to the playground and its dizzying merry-go-round...
Levee breach may have disturbed cemetery
(06/17/11)
When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blasted the Birds Point-New Madrid levee in early May, it claimed the livelihoods of dozens of farmers in the fertile farmland beneath. Now there's evidence to suggest the floodway's activation may have disturbed the dead...
Cape Girardeau Mobile Disaster Recovery Center to close Saturday
(06/17/11)
A FEMA recovery center open since Monday in Cape Girardeau will close Saturday and move to Bollinger County, FEMA announced Thursday. The Mobile Disaster Recovery Center at the Shawnee Park Center will close at 6 p.m. Saturday. FEMA urges storm and flooding victims who have questions about their applications for disaster aid to visit the center at the Shawnee Park Center or when it reopens in Marble Hill, Mo., on Monday. ...
Low-interest loan program, special unemployment available for Ill. flood victims
(06/17/11)
Some people in Southern Illinois are now eligible for low-interest loans and special unemployment assistance as they recover from spring flooding. The state treasurer's office announced Thursday a program to help Southern Illinois residents, businesses and farmers obtain low-interest loans to recover from weather-related damage to their property. The program caps the interest rate at three percent for qualified borrowers at participating financial institutions, making repairs more affordable...
County commissioners, floodplain manager discuss new ordinance
(06/17/11)
During its regular meeting Thursday, Cape Girardeau County commissioners met with county floodplain manager Stan Murray to ask questions about a recently signed ordinance designed to ensure the county remains eligible to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program...
Flood victims should call FEMA to schedule inspection
(06/17/11)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- FEMA is encouraging those in Southeast Missouri who have registered for FEMA assistance to call and schedule an inspection if one has not already been confirmed, according to a FEMA news release. For those who have already registered, call FEMA's Helpline, 800-621-FEMA (3362), select the language correct option and update the application for an inspector's visit. ... 
Corps of Engineers to start work on rebuilding levee today
(06/16/11)
The rebuilding begins now. Hours after Gov. Jay Nixon announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would immediately rebuild the Birds Point-New Madrid levee, it appears the agency isn't wasting any time coming through on its word. "We have crews rolling north right now, and we expect to go to work this afternoon, to start moving work," said corps spokesman Jim Pogue. "Needless to say, we're anxious to get started."... 
Corps general gives order to repair Birds Point levee
(06/16/11)
Six weeks ago, Southeast Missouri farmers watched as their levee was breached, allowing in a swollen Mississippi River to wash away their land, property and livelihoods. So when word came Wednesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was preparing to "immediately" repair the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway, they were more than pleased.
Monsanto, Taiwan contribute to Missouri agriculture relief fund
(06/16/11)
Donations received by the Missouri Department of Agriculture will be used to set up a disaster relief fund to help Missouri farmers recover from recent flooding. Monsanto donated $100,000 to the fund Tuesday and Taiwan also contributed $50,000. The fund will be administered by the agriculture department and Small Business Development Authority. Grants will be available in three categories... 
Corn prices rise as multiple floods cut into crop
(06/15/11)
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Brian Peterson admitted it's hard to watch as floodwaters envelope the bright green cornstalks now about knee-height, but he said he'll survive the loss at his farm along the Missouri River in western Iowa. And experts said the nation will be OK, too, even after another in a series of events that have cut into the supply of corn, a crop that is the backbone of much of the world's food supply...
Disaster recovery center to open in Cairo
(06/15/11)
MARION, Ill. -- A temporary Disaster Recovery Center will open Wednesday in Cairo to allow people to meet with disaster recovery specialists. Residents will also be able to check on the status of their disaster assistance application and find out about other disaster programs available from the U.S. ...
Disaster aid to Missouri tops $21 million
(06/13/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri residents have been approved for more than $21 million of federal disaster aid following tornadoes and flooding. And that number is likely to keep rising. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Monday that more than $12 million has gone to individuals hit by the Joplin tornado. The rest has gone to people affected by flooding in southeast Missouri, a tornado that struck St. Louis and other severe weather since May 9...
FEMA opens disaster recovery center in Cape
(06/13/11)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened a mobile disaster recovery center in Cape Girardeau this week in an effort to better serve the area's storm victims, according to a news release. The mobile recovery center opened Monday at the Shawnee Park Center, 835 S. West End Blvd., according to a news release. FEMA encouraged storm victims to visit the center for answers to any questions they have about registration status or disaster assistance, the release said...
County commission approves bids for surplus vehicles
(06/13/11)
The Cape Girardeau County Commission approved bids for the sale of three surplus vehicles at its Monday meeting. B&B Auto Salvage won bidding for two vehicles for total of $670. Steve's Cleaning Service won the other with a bid of $752. The commission also reappointed Teresa Mauer to the Senior Citizens Service Fund Board... 
New Madrid County waits for aid with flood recovery
(06/13/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- It was -- and still is -- a waiting game. New Madrid County officials watched and waited as the water inundated the county. Then waited some more as the waters began to recede. Now, the wait is to learn how much assistance will be received...
Mississippi County works to repair roads in floodway
(06/13/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County officials are doing their best to restore roads in the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway. Richard Wallace, county road and bridge superintendent, has county crews building low-water crossings and is getting permission for alternate routes across private land where needed, county commissioners said during their regular meeting Thursday...
Some unemployed in Scott County to get jobs helping with flood recovery
(06/12/11)
BENTON, Mo. -- Some workers displaced by the severe weather this spring will soon have jobs -- which will also clean up the damage left behind. The Missouri Disaster Recovery Jobs Program, coordinated by the Workforce Investment Board, has the funds to make that all happen. And Scott County Presiding Commissioner Jamie Burger and Emergency Management Director Amber Scudder got to learn more about that at a meeting earlier this week...
USDA designates 'primary disaster areas,' making farmers eligible for low-income loans
(06/12/11)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 23 counties in Missouri and five counties in Illinois as primary natural disaster areas, making farmers there eligible for low-interest emergency loans. Designated counties include Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Reynolds, Ripley, Scott, Ste. Genevieve and Stoddard in Missouri. Illinois counties receiving the designation are Alexander, Jackson, Monroe, Randolph and Union... 
Reconstruction of Morehouse after flooding now in full swing
(06/10/11)
These days, Pete Leija speaks with a constant case of the sniffles. It's the price you pay when you're the mayor of flood-ravaged Morehouse, Mo., and you're allergic to mold. In the New Madrid County community that until early spring boasted a population of around 1,000 people, mold reigns supreme... 
Corps general says levee repairs will be joint effort
(06/10/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' top engineer said after touring damage Thursday in the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway the corps will work with local and state officials to fix the levee. 
Mississippi flooding may have spread invasive fish
(06/10/11)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- While scientists have been battling to keep a ravenous, invasive fish species out of the Great Lakes, some worry that spring floods along the Mississippi River may be spreading the Asian carp downstream. Duane Chapman, a U.S. Geological Survey biologist and Asian carp expert, says the fish are likely to show up in places where Mississippi floodwaters intruded. They can weigh up to 100 pounds, grow 4 feet long and live for 25 years...
Nixon cuts Missouri education funding
(06/10/11)
ST LOUIS (AP) -- Gov. Jay Nixon cut funding for education and other programs Friday to help offset Missouri's mounting tab from a disastrous spring in which a deadly tornado and widespread flooding destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and farms. 
Several Illinois counties granted disaster declaration
(06/09/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Jim Melton was waiting Wednesday on the proper paperwork to begin rebuilding his life -- his home, his business, his past, all drowned under floodwaters unimagined until this spring.
Mississippi River ferry between Missouri and Kentucky reopens
(06/08/11)
HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) - Floodwater has receded on the Mississippi River enough that the Dorena-Hickman Ferry is going back into service. The ferry that crosses the river between Hickman, Ky., and Dorena, Mo., was closed on April 14 because of rising water...
Mo. House speaker forms special disaster committee
(06/07/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Speaker of the House wants information on whether to call the legislature into special session to deal with the string of natural disasters afflicting the state this spring. Speaker Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, has formed a committee, chaired by Speaker Pro Tem Rep. ... 
Wet spring, stagnant water mean 'mosquito summer from hell'
(06/07/11)
Poor Lewis and Clark. The mosquitoes were so bad during their 1804 journey across Missouri they must have entertained a notion or two of canceling the whole expedition. "Musquiters so thick & troublesome that it was disagreeable and painful to continue," wrote William Clark in his journal during that fateful trip... 
Army expects full breach of Missouri River levee in Iowa
(06/07/11)
HAMBURG, Iowa -- Crews scrambled Monday to protect a southwest Iowa town from the swollen Missouri River, but local officials said it's unclear whether they'll be able to prevent the river from leaving the community under several feet of water for weeks... 
Disastrous spring costing Missouri billions
(06/06/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- First a tornado tore through the St. Louis airport. Then rising waters swamped small towns and flooded miles of fertile farmland along the Mississippi River. Then the nation's deadliest tornado in six decades ripped apart the city of Joplin, Mo... 
About 75 Cairo residents attend service of thanksgiving
(06/05/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- With her hands held high, swaying in the air above her, Stacy Smith-Fulia of Cairo sang praise to God with a thankful heart Saturday night.
FEMA deadline for filing claims for unemployment assistance July 1
(06/05/11)
Six Missouri counties -- Bollinger, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Phelps, Reynolds and St. Francois -- have been added to the state's disaster declaration, according to the state's Department of Labor. The declaration allows individuals affected by the recent natural disasters to access the 26-week Disaster Unemployment Assistance program. ...
Flooding on Missouri River won't cause Mississippi flooding here, corps and forecasters say
(06/05/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service say while widespread flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota will not likely cause another significant flood along the Mississippi River in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, local water levels will remain high through the summer...
PR firm to make documentary about floodway
(06/05/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A St. Louis firm is putting together a documentary to tell the story of the devastation caused by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' activation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. Osborn and Barr, an agricultural marketing and public relations firm in St. Louis, is "disappointed with how this whole thing unfolded," according to Neil Caskey, director of advocacy and rural affairs for the firm...
Corps to open floodway information center in New Madrid on Wednesday
(06/05/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced it will open a Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway information center at 705-B Highway 61 in New Madrid, Mo. on Wednesday. The office will be open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ...
Mo. gov. asks feds to cover full public aid costs
(06/03/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has asked the federal government to pay the full cost of repairing public buildings and infrastructure damaged by recent floods and tornadoes. Nixon said Friday that his request is based on the historic devastation caused by a tornado that killed at least 138 people in Joplin and flooding that swamped hundreds of thousands of acres in Southeast Missouri... 
Bands, Bel Air Grill work together to aid flood, tornado victims with Rock for Relief
(06/03/11)
As quickly as disaster strikes, good people unite to help reknit the fabric of their community. This weekend at Bel Air Grill in Cape Girardeau, some musicians are coming together to entertain with a purpose: helping those in need. The Rock for Relief benefit concert begins today and continues through Saturday... 
Going home: Pinhook residents look to relocate as farmers look to plant
(06/02/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Along a rural highway in Mississippi County, Paul Haney quietly sits and smokes in a lawn chair as a lifetime of ruined possessions smolder into ashes in a burn pile out back. In the deserted village of Pinhook, Joe and Dora Brown peer into the home they shared for three decades where more than an inch of mud now carpets the floors and creeps up the walls...
FEMA recovery center to open in Sikeston
(06/02/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a disaster recovery center in Sikeston at 1 p.m. Thursday. Representatives from FEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to answer questions and aid people in filing disaster recovery claims. ...
Corps of Engineers to explain claims process in East Prairie
(06/01/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- Officials from the Army Corps of Engineers' Memphis District will host an informational meeting Thursday in East Prairie to discuss the claims filing process for floodway residents and property owners. According to a news release sent out Wednesday, Memphis District commander Col. ... 
FEMA: $5.8 million in assistance paid to Southeast Missouri
(06/01/11)
More than $5.8 million in individual assistance has been granted to Southeast Missouri flood victims by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
MoDOT flooded roads update
(05/31/11)
SIKESTON - The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed routes in Southeast Missouri due to the recent flooding. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution and plan alternate routes. Routes that are closed include: For more information, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit the Traveler Information Map at: http://maps.modot.mo.gov/timi/index.aspx......
Mississippi residents return to their flood-damaged homes
(05/31/11)
CUTOFF, Miss. -- Javier Campos returned to his neighborhood for the first time in nearly a month Monday to find the serene little enclave of fishing camps and homes a putrid, mud-caked mess after the historic flooding of the Mississippi River. "It's too late for praying now," he said, stomping through the sludge... 
Seep water rising in East Cape Girardeau as other communities begin to dry out
(05/29/11)
EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- As the rivers recede from the historic floods of 2011, the water is rising to dangerous levels in East Cape Girardeau. Cape Girardeau's neighbor across the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge is inundated with seep water from the Mississippi River and the swollen streams feeding into it, displacing homeowners and threatening businesses...
More counties added to federal disaster declaration
(05/27/11)
Five more Southeast Missouri counties have been added to a federal disaster declaration that includes seven other local counties cleaning up after recent flooding. Residents in Bollinger, Dunklin, Pemiscot, Reynolds and St. Francis counties are now eligible for individual federal assistance to cover uninsured losses or expenses, such as temporary housing, home repair, replacement of household items and medical bills...
Mississippi County commission hears report on flood-related road damage
(05/27/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Flooding in Mississippi County has taken a heavy toll on both state and county roads, according to county officials. "We've been working on everything this side of the levee," Richard Wallace, county road and bridge superintendent, reported during the regular county commission meeting Thursday. "We just now have them passable."...
Cairo to hold service of thanksgiving
(05/27/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- A community service of thanksgiving is planned in Cairo to celebrate the town's survival after recent flooding. The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. June 4 at the Cairo High School gymnasium. Mayor Tyrone Coleman and representatives of Cairo's faith community will offer prayers and praise in the hourlong service... 
Southeast Missouri native David Nail headlines flood relief concert in Sikeston
(05/27/11)
In times of crisis, people join together to help out in any way they can. As Southeast Missouri recovers from flood and storm damage, one Kennett, Mo., native is using his talents to help his roots. MCA recording artist David Nail will perform today at the Sikeston Field House in a concert to benefit the SEMO Health Network, which is helping flood and storm victims in Southeast Missouri. ...
FEMA opens recovery center in Charleston
(05/26/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened a disaster recovery center at Charleston High School, 606 South Thorn St. in Charleston, on Wednesday. FEMA centers continue to operate at the Morehouse Fire Station and Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. ... 
Teams assessing flood damage in Cairo
(05/25/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- As Alexander County and Cairo officials started assessing damages to public infrastructure Tuesday, Gov. Pat Quinn requested the federal government declare 14 Southern Illinois counties major disaster areas based on widespread damage to homes and businesses... 
Corps won't rule out gates for Birds Point levee fix
(05/25/11)
Should the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ever opt to activate the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway to fight floodwaters again, it could be a decidedly less explosive event. The order could come to simply raise the gates. The corps on Tuesday would not rule on the possibility that earthen berms it blew to bits with 276 tons of explosives earlier this month could be replaced with mechanical gates, similar to two floodways downriver in Louisiana. ...
New bypass near Wappapello spillway to open this week
(05/25/11)
APPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- A new Route T bypass road is expected to open late this week below the emergency spillway at Wappapello La
Flooding displaces wildlife in Southeast Missouri
(05/25/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Human beings weren't the only population disrupted by the recent flooding. High waters have also forced wildlife from their habitats. Among the displaced groups of animals on many minds are snakes. "With regard to snakes, the flooding certainly disrupted their habitat and the places they're used to hanging around. ... 
Corps sets March deadline for temporary fix of breached Birds Point levee
(05/24/11)
The message sure to infuriate property owners in the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway came down as a tweet Monday from Col. Vernie Reichling. "Just visited the inflow of the BPNM, water is slowly stopping. Memphis engineers developing alternatives to reset levee by 1 Mar 12," Reichling, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District, wrote on Twitter...
Corps of Engineers posts damage claim information on website
(05/24/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has posted information on its Mississippi Valley Division website for people who believe they have sustained damages as a result of floodway operations to file claims for compensation. The website includes a simple claims process statement, detailed claims process information and a form to file claims for damage, injury or death...
FEMA adds eight counties to list of federal disaster areas
(05/22/11)
More people affected by flooding are now eligible for federal assistance after eight more Missouri counties have been declared federal disaster areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Friday added Cape Girardeau, Howell, McDonald, Pulaski, Ripley, Scott, Stoddard and Stone counties to a federal disaster declaration that already included New Madrid, Mississippi and Butler counties in Southeast Missouri as well as St. Louis and Taney counties... 
USDA official tours Birds Point, talks to farmers
(05/22/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A top official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture toured damage to Mississippi County farmland Friday as part of a two-day trip up the flooded Mississippi River. Standing at the edge of a small cliff where on May 2 the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Birds Point levee, Michael Scuse, Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, saw acres and acres of farmland still underwater...
Government scientists test water at Birds Point
(05/22/11)
ST. LOUIS -- Government scientists are evaluating samples of Mississippi River water taken from the area protected by the Birds Point levee in Southeast Missouri to see what sort of contaminants are flowing over fields and into homes following the intentional break.
Restoration of Mississippi County roads will take '50-truck operation,' commissioner says
(05/22/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Repairing Mississippi County's infrastructure is going to take a lot of time or a lot of money -- and maybe both. With water receding enough in some areas of the spillway to reveal land again, county commissioners began discussing disaster recovery efforts during their regular meeting Thursday...
Corps of Engineers opens gates at St. John's Bayou
(05/22/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Backwater flooding may soon be diminishing. The Army Corps of Engineers reported the flood gates from the St. Johns Bayou into the Mississippi River were opened at 2:25 a.m. Thursday. Previously the Corps was using five pumps near New Madrid to move some of the water from the bayou... 
Water inches closer to Louisiana homes
(05/22/11)
BUTTE LAROSE, La. -- The final wave of holdouts has mostly packed up and left this town as water from the swollen Atchafalaya River inched toward their homes, their frustration and hope painted on signs outside their now-abandoned homes. "Nothing left worth stealing," read one. ...
USDA official to visit with Mississippi County farmers today
(05/20/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A high-ranking USDA official will visit Southeast Missouri to view flood damage today, including a public appearance in Charleston to talk with those affected by flooding and the operation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway...
2 motorcycle dealerships raising funds for flood victims
(05/20/11)
The co-owners of two regional Harley-Davidson dealerships will devote 40 days and nights of fundraising for relief to flood victims in Southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri. "Our goal is to raise $40,000 in 40 days by selling raffle tickets for the chance to win a brand new 2011 Harley-Davidson Superlow," said Shad Zimbro, co-owner of Black Diamond Harley-Davidson of Marion, Ill., and Bootheel Harley-Davidson in Scott City, in a news release. ... 
Mississippi River claims first life, crests in Vicksburg, Miss.
(05/20/11)
VICKSBURG, Miss. -- The Mississippi River crested at more than 14 feet above flood stage in Vicksburg on Thursday, a slightly lower than expected level that eased worries about water potentially spilling over a nearby levee and inundating thousands more acres of farmland...
Cape County commissioners approve vaccine for county and city employees
(05/20/11)
At its Thursday meeting the Cape Girardeau County Commission approved a motion to allow county and city employees to receive one-shot doses of tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis vaccine free of charge on June 1. The vaccinations will be provided by the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, which obtained extra doses. The vaccine is indicated for people who have filled sandbags or worked within flooded areas, who are at a higher risk of puncture wound injuries due to these activities... 
Mississippi sees 1st death from overflowing river
(05/19/11)
VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) -- A man died Thursday after being pulled from the floodwaters overflowing from the Mississippi River, becoming what is believed to be the first flood casualty since the river started spilling into Mississippi and Louisiana...
Corps of Engineers to open information center for floodway
(05/19/11)
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District announced Wednesday it will open an information center for the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway. The purpose of the facility will be to provide information about the corps' recovery efforts and restoration of breached levees in the floodway and to explain the claims process for people who believe they are entitled to compensation for damages caused by floodway operations, according to the news release... 
Army offers timeline of Birds Point levee restoration
(05/18/11)
Calling the restoration of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway a "top priority," the U.S. Army has sent letters to Missouri's Congressional delegation suggesting that a true damage assessment of the floodway can't begin until early July.
FEMA opens help centers in Morehouse, Poplar Bluff
(05/18/11)
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will open a disaster recovery center at 1 p.m. today at the Morehouse Fire Department. The center will provide access and information for those affected by recent flooding. "The center enables people to meet face to face with FEMA personnel," said John Mills, external affairs field specialist. 
Miss. flood evacuees spend tedious days in shelter
(05/18/11)
VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) -- In the area of Mississippi hardest-hit by river flooding, evacuees passed time in shelters Wednesday by reading books, praying or smoking cigarettes as officials warily watched waters inch toward the top of a nearby levee that protects thousands of acres of farmland. Cargo was slowly moving along the bloated Mississippi River after a costly daylong standstill... 
Coast Guard reopens part of Mississippi River
(05/18/11)
JACKSON, Miss.-- The Coast Guard reopened the swollen Mississippi River north of New Orleans on Tuesday, allowing cargo vessels on the nation's busiest waterway to pass slowly, one at a time in the latest effort to reduce pressure from rising floodwaters...
Stoddard County commission discusses compiling infrastructure damage list
(05/18/11)
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Stoddard County commissioners discussed compiling a list of damages to roads, bridges and other infrastructures due to recent flooding to present to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the State Emergency Management Agency at their Tuesday meeting. Authorities from those agencies were expected to visit the county later this week... 
Costly Mississippi River closure meant to protect levees
(05/17/11)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The Coast Guard has interrupted shipping along the major artery for moving grain from farms in the Midwest to the Gulf of Mexico over fears that the bulging Mississippi River could strain levees that protect hundreds of thousands from flooding. Already, thousands have sought refuge from floodwaters up and down the river... 
FEMA reviewing area damage assessments
(05/17/11)
FEMA field specialists have completed preliminary damage assessments in Southeast Missouri, including Cape Girardeau, Perry and Bollinger counties, for their individual assistance program, an agency representative said Monday. Representatives from FEMA have also finished initial damage assessments in Scott and Stoddard counties...
Water levels still causing problems in East Cape Girardeau
(05/17/11)
Alexander County, Ill., Emergency Management officials are struggling to lower and maintain water levels in East Cape Girardeau caused by high floodwater on the Mississippi River. Marty Nicholson, emergency management coordinator for Alexander County, said the water levels are currently about a foot and a half to two feet deep around the intersection of Highway 3 and Highway 146 and south of the intersection on Highway 3...
Curfew lifted in Cairo
(05/17/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- A citywide curfew was lifted Monday by Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman, who kept the order in place for 10 days even after allowing residents back in the city last week. Residents were told to evacuate as the Ohio River crept to record highs, reaching 61.72 feet hours before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers breached a levee in Missouri. At 1 p.m. Monday, the river measured at 53.4 feet, just above major flood stage at Cairo...
Scott County health official warns against releasing septic tank contents into floodwaters
(05/17/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Concerns about septic system pollution are being voiced by residents who experienced flooding recently in their neighborhoods. Barry Cook, administrator with the Scott County Health Department, said several people have asked about the use of septic systems during flooding and after the floodwaters recede. ... 
Levees require round-the-clock watch
(05/17/11)
NEW ORLEANS -- All along the swollen Mississippi River, hundreds of thousands of lives depend on a small army of engineers, deputies and even prison inmates keeping round-the-clock watch at the many floodwalls and earthen levees. They are looking for any droplets that seep through the barriers and any cracks that threaten to turn small leaks into big problems. ... 
Opening of floodgates empties many Cajun towns
(05/16/11)
BUTTE LAROSE, La. (AP) -- Cajun-country towns in the path of Mississippi River floodwaters were all but deserted Monday as residents heeded warnings to seek higher ground after a major floodgate was opened for the first time in four decades...
FEMA wraps up Stoddard County assessments
(05/16/11)
BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- FEMA representatives have completed initial assessments for individual assistance in Stoddard County, according to the county's emergency management/flood response director, Kent Polsgrove. "The task now is for them to submit the information they've gathered, and then wait for word on our eligibility status," Polsgrove said Friday... 
In fighting flood, Mo. inmates get chance to give back
(05/16/11)
When the raging floodwaters threatened communities throughout the region, Missouri's criminals came to the rescue. From Dutchtown to Caruthersville, scores of inmates from the Missouri Department of Corrections system worked long hours bagging and stacking sand, building temporary levees and toiling in the muck and rain to protect Southeast Missouri lives and property from the ravages of the historic flood of 2011...
Ohio River bridge between Cairo, Wickliffe reopens
(05/16/11)
The Ohio River bridge on U.S. highways 51/60/62 between Wickliffe, Ky., and Cairo, Ill., could reopen in time for the Monday morning commute, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers said Saturday. In a news release the agency said its engineers were "optimistic" the bridge might open in time for the work week... 
With floodgate open, residents in Louisiana's Cajun country move to high ground
(05/16/11)
KROTZ SPRINGS, La. -- Deputies warned people Sunday to get out as Mississippi River water gushing from a floodgate for the first time in four decades crept ever closer to communities in Louisiana Cajun country, slowly filling a river basin like a giant bathtub... 
Couple hands out Red Cross meals in Morehouse
(05/15/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- Glen Harmon's goal is to make as much noise as possible as he drives down the streets of Morehouse. "Hot meals!" he calls out, then lays on the horn in the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle he's driving. The noise causes people to come out of their homes, quickly forming a line at the truck's side window... 
Fast and furious: May 1986 saw most costly, damaging flash flood in Cape history
(05/15/11)
If flooding caused by the rise of the river is like a cumbersome bully that announces his intention to torment, then flash floods are the dizzying sucker punch. Rodney Bridges certainly felt the sting of a flash flood, one of the most costly and damaging in Cape Girardeau's history...
Some Wappapello recreation areas reopen
(05/15/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- Several recreation areas at Wappapello Lake reopened Thursday, after flooding shut down all campgrounds and boat launch areas for several days. Access to the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor Center is open on the north side, where Route T crosses the dam. The area below the dam is also open now, said Park Ranger John Daves. Both areas are only open during daylight hours... 
Louisiana floodgate opens, diverting Mississippi River
(05/15/11)
MORGANZA, La. -- Water from the Mississippi River gushed through a floodgate Saturday for the first time in nearly four decades and headed toward thousands of homes and farmland in the Cajun countryside, threatening to slowly submerge the land under water up to 25 feet deep. 
MoDOT: Could take two years to replace road beneath Wappapello spillway
(05/15/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- Water stopped flowing over Wappapello Lake's emergency spillway Wednesday, a day after members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer and the Missouri Department of Transportation met to discuss reconstruction of Route T. It could take two years or more before a permanent road replaces the portion of Route T damaged in front of the emergency spillway, according to MoDOT...
Scott County damage assessment wraps up
(05/15/11)
BENTON, Mo. -- It wasn't an oversight or lack of damage that excluded Scott County from a federal disaster declaration earlier this week. The individual assistance assessment simply hadn't been completed yet. Those assessments were done Wednesday and Thursday, and included officials from the federal and state emergency management associations, as well as Amber Scudder, Scott County's emergency management director...
Federal officials give approval to opening Morganza spillway
(05/13/11)
LAKE PROVIDENCE, La. (AP) -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is saying federal officials have been given approval to open a Louisiana spillway as early as Saturday to avert a Mississippi River disaster in places like Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Jindal said Friday that the Army Corps of Engineers had received permission to open the Morganza spillway for the first time in 38 years to relieve pressure on river levees. ...
USDA seeks Mo. damage assessments
(05/13/11)
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are assessing damage throughout Missouri from recent storms and floods. State officials said Friday that counties have until May 20 to report damages and losses to the USDA. Gov. Jay Nixon's request for damage assessments is the first step toward declaring counties as primary disaster areas, defined as those that lose at least 30 percent of the estimated yield of a single crop, or where farmers suffer production losses greater than 30 percent.. ...
Caruthersville Humane Society needs towels to help care for displaced animals
(05/13/11)
KENNETT, Mo. -- The Caruthersville Humane Society and ASPCA are asking for donations of face and bath towels for animals whose homes and shelters were affected by the flood. The towels are needed to bathe the animals before they return to their homes or shelters. Towels can be taken to the Delta Fairgrounds emergency shelter in Kennett. For more information call 573-333-0100...
Southern Illinois health organization collecting cleaning supplies for flood victims
(05/13/11)
The Southern 7 Health Department and Head Start is having a "Stuff a Truck" event today to help flood victims. The organization will be collecting cleaning supplies for flood cleanup until 5 pm. at the following locations: Donations will also be accepted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Metropolis. All items will be donated to flood victims in the counties Southern 7 serves... 
Quick cleanup needed to avoid mold
(05/13/11)
When floodwaters began to recede from Highway 3 in Olive Branch, Ill., last week, Foodtown owner Ken Newton and his staff got to work quickly. They gathered vacuums, buckets, gloves, trash bags and a lot of bleach. There was a lot of mud, water and debris to clean up, and Newton knew if he was going to pass an inspection by the Illinois Health Department -- and stay open for his customers -- he had to fight off any mold that may have developed on the soaked insulation inside the store's walls.. ... 
Olive Branch authorities warn many against using public water supply
(05/13/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- In one of the more immediate ironies of the flood of 2011, many of the residents of Olive Branch have no potable water. 
MoDOT increases efforts to keep water off I-55
(05/13/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Despite a relatively dry four days, backwater from St. Johns Bayou is still inching up along a two-mile stretch of Interstate 55, worrying Missouri Department of Transportation officials even as they step up efforts to keep the critical highway open to traffic... 
Emerson responds to vice president's remarks on Birds Point
(05/13/11)
A day after Vice President Joe Biden seemingly praised the decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to breach Birds Point levee, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson criticized his remarks as "ignorant and uninformed." Emerson, a Republican representing Southeast Missouri, opposed the corps' actions from the start, arguing that activating the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway
Flood of assistance
(05/13/11)
It's been a rough few weeks for much of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, and our misfortune is cascading down the map. Even as the waters slowly withdraw from the communities and houses, people will need help. A flood does not hit this house or miss that house. A flood spreads its girth evenly and destructively...
Camping fees waived for flood victims at two Mo. state parks
(05/13/11)
Camping fees will be waived at two Missouri state parks for people displaced by Southeast Missouri flooding. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced in a news release Thursday that camping fees for the displaced will be waived for 30 days. The waiver applies to all Missouri residents who were victims of flooding along the Mississippi River. The waiver applies to Trail of Tears State Park and Lake Wappapello State Park near Williamsville, Mo... 
Corps considers opening La. spillway
(05/13/11)
BUTTE LAROSE, La. -- In the latest decision along the swollen Mississippi River, federal engineers are close to opening a massive spillway that would protect Baton Rouge, La., and New Orleans but flood hundreds of thousands of acres in Louisiana Cajun country...
MoDOT flooded roads update
(05/12/11)
SIKESTON - The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed routes in Southeast Missouri due to the recent flooding. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution and plan alternate routes. Routes that are closed as of 2 p.m. Thursday include: For more information, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit the Traveler Information Map at: http://maps.modot.mo.gov/timi/index.aspx...... 
People, animals flee Mississippi River flooding
(05/12/11)
YAZOO CITY, Miss. (AP) -- A slow migration unfolded in central Mississippi on Thursday, with people and animals seeking higher ground to escape the flooding from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. In Louisiana, water poured over a century-old levee, flooding 12,000 acres of corn and soybeans despite farmers' frantic efforts to shore up the structure. ... 
Miss. River flows over La. levee, flooding crops
(05/12/11)
BUNCHE'S BEND, La. (AP) -- Water from the swollen Mississippi River poured over a century-old levee Thursday, flooding 12,000 acres of corn and soybeans despite farmers' frantic efforts to shore up the structure. Downstream, officials with the Port of New Orleans said the Coast Guard could close the river to ships as early as Monday, halting traffic on one of the world's busiest commercial waterways... 
Morehouse begins big job of flood cleanup
(05/12/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- The floodwaters that once filled the town of Morehouse are gone now, but the community's cleanup efforts are just beginning. Homes show obvious scars from the flood. A brown ring circles the bottom half of most homes, showing where the water once was. Street after street is lined with piles of waterlogged couches, beds, clothes and carpeting ripped from homes ravaged by the flood. The stench of mold fills the air... 
Cairo residents allowed back in as mayor lifts evacuation order
(05/12/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- For one Cairo woman, Mayor Tyrone Coleman's announcement Wednesday lifting a mandatory evacuation order came at an ideal time. 
Flooded Mississippi takes aim at delta
(05/12/11)
RENA LARA, Miss. -- Crews worked to shore up levees along the swelling Mississippi River on Wednesday as floodwaters threatened to swamp even more of the fertile Mississippi Delta. The crest rolled south after hitting the high mark Tuesday in Memphis, Tenn., just inches short of the record set in 1937. Some low-lying neighborhoods were inundated, but high levees protected much of the rest of the city. Landmarks such as Graceland stayed dry...
Volunteer disaster response course offered Saturday
(05/12/11)
Volunteers seeking disaster training can register for a basic response course set for Saturday at the Osage Centre in Cape Girardeau.
Mo. DNR waives some requirements to aid flood cleanup
(05/12/11)
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources will waive special solid waste and air pollution regulations to provide flexibility in flood cleanup operations in 19 Missouri counties. The waiver applies to Barry, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Dunklin, Howell, McDonald, Mississippi, New Madrid, Ozark, Pemiscot, Reynolds, Ripley, St. Francois, Scott, Stoddard, Stone, Taney and Wayne counties, DNR reported in a news release...
Meeting for Morehouse flood victims this afternoon
(05/11/11)
MOREHOUSE, Mo. -- An informational meeting for Morehouse residents affected by flooding will be held today at 5:30 p.m. in the Morehouse Elementary gym. Mayor Pete Leija will share details about assistance available to residents. About 75 percent of Morehouse was flooded recently, a situation made worse by a temporary levee built by the Missouri Department of Transportation to keep U.S. 60 from flooding. The levee ended up routing more water into the... 
State brings in agencies to help flood victims
(05/11/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Chesley Rutledge just wants her family to sit down together at the dinner table in her home. That's not happening anytime soon. 
Mississippi Delta preparing for floodwaters
(05/11/11)
TUNICA, Miss. -- The bulging Mississippi River rolled into the fertile Mississippi Delta on Tuesday, threatening to swamp antebellum mansions, wash away shotgun shacks and destroy fields of cotton, rice and corn.
USDA hosting flood assistance meetings Friday
(05/10/11)
The USDA will host flood assistance information meetings Friday at three locations in Southeast Missouri. Meetings will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in New Madrid; from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Miner Convention Center in Miner; and from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Dexter Eagles Club in Dexter...
MoDOT's latest road closings
(05/10/11)
SIKESTON - The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed routes in Southeast Missouri due to the recent flooding. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution and plan alternate routes. Routes that are closed as of 1 p.m. include: For more information, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit the Traveler Information Map at: http://maps.modot.mo.gov/timi/index.aspx......
Nixon pledges $25 million for disaster aid
(05/10/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is pledging $25 million of state aid to help communities recover from flooding. Nixon said Tuesday that the money will help local governments with rebuilding costs and pay for deploying about 800 Missouri National Guard members who helped with the flood response... 
Farmers report severe losses after visiting operations in floodway
(05/10/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- When Neal Tinnon hopped into his boat Monday morning, he hoped to come back with word that his buildings were still standing, his diesel tanks were anchored down tight and that his farm cat and her newborn kittens had somehow found safety... 
USGS: Damage from breach might be milder than expected
(05/10/11)
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A flood expert with the U.S. Geological Survey believes there is a good chance that damage to agricultural land behind the Birds Point levee in southeast Missouri won't be as bad as damage from other major levee breaches. The Army Corps of Engineers intentionally breached the Mississippi River levee last week to relieve pressure at Cairo, Ill., and other places. No one will know how bad the damage is until water recedes, and that could be months...
Cairo city government sets curfew for remaining residents
(05/10/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman has established a curfew for the approximately 100 residents that remain in the city. From 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. no one except emergency personnel may be on the city streets, the city announced in a news release Monday. ...
Corps sending five pumps to floodway
(05/10/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- The pumps are coming to provide relief to communities near the floodway. East Prairie Mayor Kevin Mainord said he was notified Monday by the U.S. Corps of Engineers that it would send three 18-inch pumps to attack the backwater that has collected in the lower part of St. ... 
River rising in Memphis, but music landmarks dry
(05/10/11)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Mississippi crept toward the highest level ever in the river city, flooding pockets of low-lying neighborhoods and forcing hundreds from their homes, though the water was not threatening the music heartland's most recognizable landmarks, from Graceland to Beale Street...
Floods extend school year for some; districts deal with displaced students
(05/10/11)
Students in the Egyptian School District return to school today, nearly two weeks after historic floods washed out classes and some of the communities the school system serves. For many of the students, the classroom will be the one dry, stable home they can count on -- for the foreseeable future anyway...
Obama issues disaster declaration for five Mo. counties
(05/09/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - President Barack Obama has ordered federal aid for Missouri to help the recovery from severe storms, tornadoes and flooding that started last month. Obama on Monday declared a major disaster in Missouri. The declaration allows federal funding for individuals in Butler, Mississippi, New Madrid, St. ...
Nixon asks USDA to assess farm damage
(05/09/11)
Gov. Jay Nixon announced in a news release today that he has asked the USDA's Farm Service Agency to start damage assessments "as soon as possible" for 56 Missouri counties hit by storms and severe flooding. The request is the first step in declaring the counties as primary disaster areas -- those where at least 30 percent of the estimated yield of a crop will be lost or where individual farmers suffer production losses of more than 30 percent. ...
State government to host informational meetings on flood relief
(05/09/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- State officials will be holding community meetings this week in southeast Missouri to inform residents and businesses affected by floods about state services they could receive. Officials from a dozen state agencies are to be on hand. People will be able to apply for unemployment benefits and learn about issues like aid for career training, food and temporary housing... 
Mississippi River continues rise at Memphis
(05/09/11)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Mississippi crept toward the highest level ever in the river city, flooding pockets of low-lying neighborhoods and forcing hundreds from their homes, though the water was not threatening the music heartland's most recognizable landmarks, from Graceland to Beale Street.
Floods hamper rail, road and river traffic
(05/09/11)
Flooding throughout Southeast Missouri in recent weeks has made travel troublesome at times, whether on the ground, in the air or along the river. Area highways, railways, runways and waterways have all been affected. After peaking at about 150 road closures in Southeast Missouri, the Missouri Department of Transportation has since reopened about 40 percent of those roads, said Mark Shelton, MoDOT district engineer...
Cairo evacuation order remains in place
(05/09/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- City officials were still keeping close watch on the Ohio River on Sunday, nearly a week after former mayor Judson Childs ordered a mandatory evacuation of Cairo. The evacuation was still in place through Sunday, although the river dropped to 58.44 feet by 10 p.m. The Ohio River is forecast to drop below 56 feet by Friday morning... 
Commerce drying out as levee breach lowers water levels
(05/09/11)
COMMERCE, Mo. -- Harold Kraft has yielded an early and unusual crop from his garden this spring -- catfish. The lifelong Commerce resident is mostly boating around these days due to the Mississippi River inundating the yard and front steps at his Water Street home. The floodwaters began to recede Tuesday after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers breached the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway... 
'New and strange terrors': More than 70 years ago, Birds Point levee was breached because of icy winter flood
(05/08/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A flood is one thing. A flood of biblical proportions is another. But a freezing flood is unmitigated misery. Betty Hearnes remembers. She was 9 in the winter of 1937, when the water took nearly everything. What she remembers most is how cold it was... 
Floodwaters fall, but much in Olive Branch still underwater
(05/08/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- Dena Wood pointed to the wood paneling on her living room walls, about 5 feet up. That's how high the water climbed when it burst over Highway 3 early Tuesday morning, destroying the home her family has lived in for more than 15 years... 
Corps of Engineers trying to find pumps to drain East Prairie
(05/08/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- The waters are bulging from their banks along every roadside ditch in town. Front yards have been transformed into tiny lakes, forcing residents to pull on boots just to check their mail.
MoDOT: Latest road closings
(05/08/11)
SIKESTON - The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed routes in Southeast Missouri due to the recent flooding. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution and plan alternate routes. Routes that are closed as of 3 p.m. Saturday include: For more information, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit the Traveler Information Map at: http://maps.modot.mo.gov/timi/index.aspx......
Farmers allowed back in floodway to inspect properties Monday
(05/08/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Southeast Missouri farmers and property owners whose land is now under water because of the activation of the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway will get their first up-close glimpse of the damage Monday. Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore announced to about 60 residents at a special meeting Friday that he would allow them access to the floodway Monday -- and Tuesday, if necessary -- from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m...
National Guard soldiers rescued after getting stuck in floodway
(05/08/11)
WYATT, Mo. -- A Black Hawk helicopter airlifted 23 soldiers and Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to safety this morning after a night spent on a levee in the floodwaters near Wyatt in Mississippi County. 
Ky. optimistic state has seen worst of flooding
(05/08/11)
HICKMAN, Ky. -- As Memphis readied for the mighty Mississippi to bring its furor to town, some Kentucky residents upstream returned to their homes Saturday, optimistic the levees would hold and that they had seen the worst of the flooding.
State announces flood insurance information site
(05/08/11)
The Missouri Department of Insurance has put together information about insurance claims for flood damage at its website, http://insurance.mo.gov/consumer/weather/floodresources.htm. The online resources include details for how flood damage is covered, depending on whether it affects homes, cars or crops... 
Coast Guard reopens river to traffic at Caruthersville
(05/06/11)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The Coast Guard says it is reopening a portion of the Mississippi River to barge traffic after closing it over concerns that the wake from vessels would top flood walls. 
Ditch levee breach sends water close to Stoddard County homes
(05/06/11)
STODDARD COUNTY, Mo. -- On Wednesday afternoon, residents living along the stretch of Highway 51 north of U.S. 60 in Stoddard County thought the worst was over -- the fields around them looked to be in good shape. Nothing was underwater. All that changed in the early morning hours Thursday when a levee holding back the Mingo Ditch waters burst about three miles north of U.S. ...
Authorities searching for missing Florida woman
(05/06/11)
CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- Authorities in Southeast Missouri have been searching for a 24-year-old Florida woman last reported seen in a partially flooded field. The Pemiscot County Sheriff's Department said friends reported Samantha Donaghy of Jupiter, Fla., missing Sunday... 
Illinois reopens Olive Branch highway
(05/06/11)
OLIVE BRANCH, Ill. -- As waters on Highway 3 at Olive Branch began to recede Wednesday evening, residents were eager to get back in their homes and businesses, knowing long days of cleanup were ahead of them. The Illinois Department of Transportation opened the road Thursday morning, allowing families to return home if they could get to their property...
Mo. relaxes jobless benefits rules in flood zone
(05/06/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri's labor department is relaxing one of its rules for people who live in the southeastern flood zone and receive unemployment benefits. The department says it will suspend the requirement that people check in every four weeks at career centers as condition of receiving jobless benefits. The suspension applies only in Bollinger, Butler, Cape Girardeau, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Stoddard, Scott and Wayne counties... 
Sandbags from Sikeston feed Southeast Missouri's flood fight
(05/06/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Truck after truck pulls away from the gates at the Jaycee Rodeo Grounds. Some are filled with sand. Others are loaded down with already created sandbags. Each is a truckload of hope that Southeast Missourians will be able to keep the floodwaters at bay... 
Mo. ag director: Insurance will cover crop losses
(05/06/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- About 100 farmers and their families packed into the Delta Growers Association conference room and spilled out into the hallways Thursday hoping to hear help is on the way. "It was a very emotional time for all of you as you had to watch the destruction of that levee that terrible evening," said Davis Minton, deputy director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. ...
National Guard protecting floodway areas from unauthorized boats
(05/06/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County commissioners are relying on help from the Missouri National Guard to keep people out of the spillway. Sgt. William Pedigo and Sgt. 1st Class Ray Alford, liaison officers for the National Guard's 1221st Transportation Company in Dexter, met with county commissioners and Danny Harris, county emergency management director, during the regular county commission meeting Thursday...
Caruthersville awaits record flood crest
(05/06/11)
ST. LOUIS -- Residents of the southeast Missouri town of Caruthersville braced Thursday for a flood crest expected to have the Mississippi River lapping at the top of the floodwall. 
Hundreds of volunteers helping flood victims
(05/06/11)
ULLIN, Ill. -- It doesn't matter what the need is, Jim and Sheila Ulbrich, a St. Louis couple managing an American Red Cross shelter in Ullin, will give their all to follow through and meet it. With more than 120 people still staying at the Southern Illinois shelter this week, there have been many requests, Jim Ulbrich said Thursday... 
Corps shifts focus to East Prairie after final Birds Point breach
(05/06/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- With the final floodway breach completed Thursday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said its focus will shift to East Prairie, a community struggling to keep the backwater at bay from a drainage system that has become saturated from 22 inches of rain over the last two weeks. 
Memphis warns residents to leave before flooding
(05/06/11)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Parts of the Mississippi Delta are beginning to flood, sending white-tail deer and wild pigs swimming to dry land, submerging yacht clubs and closing floating casinos, and compelling residents to flee from their homes. The sliver of land in northwest Mississippi, home to hardship and bluesman Muddy Waters, is in the crosshairs of the slowly surging river, just like many other areas along the banks of the big river...
Cairo residents allowed inside city until 6 p.m.
(05/06/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- Early this morning Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman approved to allow Cairo residents into the city to check their personal belongings until 6 p.m. today. A representative from the Cairo Police Department said residents may come in to check their homes, animals, drop off and pick up personal items. Residents will not be allowed to stay in the city past 6 p.m. tonight due to Ohio and Mississippi river flood water remaining at high levels with much pressure still on the levee systems...
Illinois officials say they're working to get federal assistance
(05/06/11)
Illinois State Senator Gary Forby, D-Benton, and State Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg, said Friday they're working to get federal disaster assistance funds to Southern Illinois counties affected by flooding. In a news release, the officials said flood damage needs to be assessed before a federal disaster declaration can be issued...
Highway 25 reopens
(05/06/11)
Highway 25, which has been closed since last week due to floodwaters from the Diversion Channel and Hubble Creek at Dutchtown, reopened at noon Thursday, according to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department. Highway 74 from County Road 205 to Interstate 55 was also reopened, though the road will remain closed from County Road 205 to Highway 25 due to water over that stretch of road...
Gov. Nixon requests major disaster declaration
(05/05/11)
Gov. Jay Nixon announced Thursday afternoon that he requested the president to declare Missouri a disaster area due to damage from storms and severe flooding that have hit the state in recent weeks. The announcement, made via news release, also said damage assessments are currently underway in 38 counties affected by flooding, many of them in Southeast Missouri. ... 
Slow-moving disaster unfolds on lower Mississippi
(05/05/11)
HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) -- Morrison Williamson feels confident the floodwall about 10 feet from the hardware store he manages will save it, even though two rivulets of the swollen Mississippi River sprout from reinforcing timbers on the structure like water from a garden hose... 
Waters receding in Cape Girardeau area
(05/05/11)
Tommy Jones awoke at 12:30 a.m. Monday to the sound of a waterfall. It was the muddy Mississippi River pouring into the basement of his home on North Spanish Street in Cape Girardeau. "With that last rain, there was nowhere for the water to go," Jones said...
Floodway long a source of legal contention
(05/05/11)
The story of the Birds Point-New Madrid levee is of a struggle between landowner rights and the government's idea of the greater good, a debate that goes back to the days immediately following the devastating floods of 1928. More than 80 years later, property owners prepare to fight the federal government all over again -- much as they have done in the courts for the better part of the last century...
Effects of swollen Ohio River still being felt in Southern Illinois
(05/05/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- It's still difficult traveling to and around Cairo, according to city officials, who on Wednesday were still not allowing residents to return to the Southern Illinois city that has been largely evacuated since Sunday. After the U.S. ...
Two other floodways may have to be activated, corps says
(05/05/11)
The Birds Point-New Madrid floodway may just be the first intentional levee breaching that is done to help recede the rising floodwaters along the Mississippi River, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said. For one of the floodways, it may happen soon -- as quickly as Monday, Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh said in a news conference this week. Walsh is the president of the Mississippi River Commission and the corps' commander of the Mississippi Valley Division... 
Monday night levee blast felt 170 miles away
(05/05/11)
While the large amount of explosives used in the first Birds Point-New Madrid levee breach this week may be reason enough to feel the blast more than 150 miles away, experts in earthquake studies said Wednesday there may have been other factors that contributed to the vibrations felt in cities in four states... 
Caruthersville bracing for record flood
(05/05/11)
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Five years after a massive tornado damaged more than 500 homes in the southeastern Missouri town of Caruthersville, another natural disaster is bearing down on the community. The flood of 2011 officially reached record levels in Caruthersville Wednesday as the Mississippi River topped the 46-foot mark set in 1937. ... 
Corps: Wappapello spillway sound despite overflow
(05/05/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- The Wappapello Lake spillway is structurally sound, even with an overflow at times as high as 228,000 gallons of water per second. This was the information provided Tuesday afternoon to Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh, president of the Mississippi River Commission, as he viewed the fast flowing water and damaged Route T from a hill near the Bill Emerson Memorial Visitor's Center... 
Corps again delays third levee breach; will blast at 1 p.m. today
(05/05/11)
The final blast in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plan to breach the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway will happen at 1 p.m. today, the corps announced Wednesday night.
Agriculture levee near Commerce breached
(05/05/11)
COMMERCE, Mo. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee at Commerce is now the last line of defense for southern Scott County. A private levee which had provided protection for farmland between the corps' levee and the Mississippi River was breached sometime Monday night or early Tuesday, according to Amber Scudder, emergency management director for Scott County...
Latest road closings from MoDOT
(05/04/11)
SIKESTON - The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed routes in Southeast Missouri due to the recent flooding. Motorists are urged to use extreme caution and plan alternate routes. Routes that are closed include (as of 6 p.m. Wednesday): Bollinger County... 
Flood unease builds south along Mississippi
(05/04/11)
HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) -- People along the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries packed up their belongings and emergency workers feverishly filled sandbags as high water pushed its way downstream Wednesday in a slow-motion disaster that could break flood records dating to the Depression.
Mo. ag official to visit flooded areas
(05/04/11)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says the state's agriculture director will survey flood damage Thursday in a visit to the southeastern part of the state. In a statement Wednesday night, Nixon said Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler will be in the Bootheel to survey damage caused by several days of heavy rains in the area...
City administrator: No problems in New Madrid
(05/04/11)
New Madrid, so far, is in good shape. That's the word late this afternoon from City Administrator John Gilbert, who has spent much of the day touring the city of some 3,000 people nestled next to the Mississippi River. The Army Corps of Engineers tonight plans to detonate the third and final position on the southern end of the Birds Point-New Madrid levee... 
NASA releases photos of floodway
(05/04/11)
NASA has released satellite images showing the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway both before and after the activation of the floodway with the breaching of a levee at Birds Point. One image shows the area on April 29 before the breach. The other shows the area on May 3. The blue area shows the water that poured into the spillway...
Wappapello breaks record crest; Clearwater to reach record
(05/04/11)
WAPPAPELLO LAKE, Mo. -- Both Wappapello and Clearwater lakes are expected to crest this week above record levels. The dams are operating safely and as designed, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Wappapello Lake reached its predicted crest of 400 feet Tuesday morning. ...
National Guard members being recognized for flood rescue
(05/04/11)
POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. (AP) - Two members of the Missouri National Guard are getting recognition after their rescue of a 93-year-old woman from a flooded roadway along the Black River in Poplar Bluff, a rescue captured on videotape. Junior Bombard of Ozark and Tim Bridges of Carthage are among more than 760 guardsmen helping to fight the historic flooding in southeast Missouri. On Tuesday, they went to help after the woman was trapped in her car as she tried to cross water-covered Highway 53... 
SEMO professor: Breach will change soil structure
(05/04/11)
With the floodwaters from the intentional breach of the Birds Point levee come changes in the soil structure that will take farmers years to overcome, according to agriculture experts. 
Sun lifts spirits in waterlogged East Prairie
(05/04/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- It's amazing what sunshine and blue skies can do for a water-logged psyche. "It just lifts those spirits really high," said Gary Sisk, whose face lit up Tuesday afternoon as he looked up at the bright sun, slightly tempered by a smattering of fluffy white clouds -- the kind that don't typically make rain... 
Lawsuit seeking damages for area farmers because of levee breach
(05/04/11)
Terry and Mary Beth Lee's farm stands -- or stood -- on the land that her great-great-grandfather settled more than 200 years ago. Her dad worked the fields beneath Birds Point levee up until he and his wife died within three months of each other in 1993, the year of the last 100-year flood. 
Corps delays third breach after exhausting explosives supply
(05/04/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- A third levee breach planned for today is being delayed by at least 24 hours because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used too much of the explosives on the first two detonations and do not have enough for the third breach yet, corps officials said at a news conference this evening... 
Cairo residents still barred from returning to homes
(05/04/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- Mayor Tyrone Coleman isn't taking any risks when it comes to the safety of the city's residents. 
Levee blasting moves to New Madrid, along with worry
(05/04/11)
NEW MADRID, Mo. -- At Taster's Restaurant, it is the morning of the blast. A good-natured waitress jokes with a customer about not knowing how to swim. Another woman sips coffee and says her worried son called from Tallahassee, Fla., asking if she wanted him to come and get her out of harm's way. They laugh, but their laughter may twinge with a hint of nervousness... 
Ag businesses may cut down workforce
(05/04/11)
The economic impact of the intentional breach of the Birds Point levee is hard to overestimate, Missouri Department of Agriculture director Dr. Jon Hagler said Tuesday. "Our hearts are with the farm families in Southeast Missouri," Hagler said. At MRM Ag Service, near East Prairie, Mo., Kevin Mainord estimates 35 to 40 percent of his business washed away as floodwaters poured into the spillway. Mainord, MRM's sales and marketing director, also farms about 10,000 acres in the spillway area... 
Nixon to flood victims: 'We stand ready to assist'
(05/03/11)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- Gov. Jay Nixon and top state officials visited a rain-soaked Southeast Missouri Tuesday, pledging to use every resource at his disposal to offer aid to a region that is suffering through one of the worst floods in Missouri history. But he also offered a word of caution: "Floods last a long time and the damage lasts a long time afterward."...
Authorities warn of flooding along Little River
(05/03/11)
JAYWYE, Mo. (AP) -- Authorities in Southeast Missouri have been warning rural residents about flood risks along the Little River. The New Madrid County Sheriff's Department said deputies and Missouri National Guard troops went to rural homes in the southwestern part of the county Tuesday telling residents to prepare to leave...
MoDOT builds emergency berm at Fisk
(05/03/11)
The Missouri Department of Transportation reported it has plans to build a temporary berm at the U.S. 60 interchange at Fisk to keep floodwaters off the road. The 2,000-foot berm will be made from concrete barriers along eastbound U.S. 60. For more information, please contact MoDOT's Customer Service Center toll-free at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636) or visit the Traveler Information Map at: http://maps.modot.mo.gov/timi/index.aspx...... 
Corps executes second of three breaches in Birds Point-New Madrid floodway
(05/03/11)
The Corps of Engineers detonated the second of three levee points at 12:36 p.m. today as part of the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway plan. The explosion took out approximately 5,500 feet of the levee near New Madrid to allow for flood water to flow back into the Mississippi River. Another such explosion is planned, but the corps has not released its plans on the timing... 
Corps blows levee at Birds Point overnight
(05/03/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- A brief but brilliant flash of light was followed by the roar of explosions Monday night as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ended days of speculation and hand-wringing by blowing the Birds Point levee. With record-setting rains continuing to pummel the region, corps crews detonated the charges in 22 access wells along the earthen levee shortly after 10 p.m., opening up the floodway that is expected to offer relief to several beleaguered communities in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.. ...
Mississippi County residents, farmers worry about impact of activating spillway
(05/03/11)
CHARLESTON, Mo. -- No one in Charleston knows the extent of the damage to be done by the intentional breach of the Birds Point levee. Even farm families who are going through this for the second time aren't sure what the impact of the levee breach ordered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Monday will be. 
Floodwaters closing in on East Prairie
(05/03/11)
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. -- The Eagle Inn is warm, clean, comfortable. Most important for Selene Davis and her tired family, the roadside motel at the edge of Charleston, Mo., is dry. As of 6 p.m. Monday, Davis, her fiancee, Dorian Weems, her 12-year-old son, Tyrell Harris, and 26-year-old daughter, Precious Davis, had spent the past 36 hours at four addresses. By 9 a.m. today, they plan to be heading to a fifth, at much higher and dryer ground in Carbondale, Ill... 
Cairo residents relieved by Birds Point decision, other Ill. towns still dealing with flooding
(05/03/11)
CAIRO, Ill. -- Packing up important city documents today, officials in Cairo were nervous and restless as river levels reached record highs and they waited on the government's decision to breach the Birds Point-New Madrid levee. Relief came shortly after 5 p.m. ...
Cape registered 20.5 inches of rain in April, more to come
(05/03/11)
It comes as no surprise to washed out Southeast Missourians, but it appears April now ranks as the wettest month on record in Cape Girardeau, Paducah, Ky., and many points in between, according to the National Weather Service. And May begins where late April left off -- with dangerously heavy rains, putting untenable pressure on surging rivers and tributaries throughout Southeast Missouri, southern Illinois and western Kentucky...
Clearwater Lake reaching capacity; overspill possible depending on rain
(05/03/11)
PIEDMONT, Mo. -- With 4 inches of rain in the 48 hours ending at 7 a.m. today, Clearwater Lake is now at its third highest level and possibly could go over the spillway sometime Tuesday. "We are nearing the top of the lake's flood storage capacity at elevation 567 feet. ... 
Rains wash out Cissus Lane in Cape County
(05/03/11)
Cissus Lane after several days of rain. Guard rail still holds on. |
|
