Flooding closes some schools, roads; Mississippi River expected to crest well above flood stage

The LaCroix Creek overtakes the LaCroix trail in some areas Friday, October 30, 2009, in Cape Girardeau. (Kit Doyle) [Order this photo]

Heavy rains Friday closed schools, covered roads and prompted a flood forecast for the Mississippi River to rise to its highest level since July 2008.

Schools in Delta, Zalma, Mo., Kelso, Mo., Marble Hill, Mo., and Leopold, Mo., all dismissed classes early Friday as the heavy rains, which brought a little more than 2 inches to Cape Girardeau Regional Airport but much more in other locations, threatened to flood roads needed by school buses to transport students.

The Kelso School District in Scott County closed at noon, while the Woodland School District in Marble Hill, the Delta School District and Zalma School District sent students home at 11 a.m. The Leopold School District ended classes at 11:20 a.m.

Woodland superintendent Jennings Wilkinson said its buildings are not damaged from rainfall or flooding but that the early dismissal was a precaution. "We watched the weather all morning, and when we saw there'd be a break in the rain we knew midmorning would be the best time to dismiss," Wilkinson said.

Joel Evans, emergency management director for Scott County, reported that most of the flooding over roads in the county occurred near Caney, New Hamburg and Chaffee. Evans was unaware of any damage to homes or significant flooding.

"We fared pretty well with this one," Evans said. "We had some flash flooding but not enough to cause a lot of problems. The flash flooding we did have lasted for a short amount of time and drained fairly quickly."

High water closed Route H in Bollinger County.

The Cape Girardeau Public Works Department closed both downtown floodgates Friday as a precaution against a rising Mississippi River forecast to be more than 10 feet above flood stage by Wednesday. On Saturday afternoon, the river was 34.4 feet, 2.4 feet above flood stage, a rise of 2.6 feet in 24 hours and almost 18 feet since Oct. 25.

Regular rains -- including the wettest October on record at St. Louis -- have filled the river.

A prediction issued Saturday morning forecast a rise to 42.5 feet by Wednesday.

A reading of 42.5 feet would, in addition to forcing the city to close both downtown flood gates, would also require the closure of the floodgate on the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe railroad line north of downtown.

If reached, the reading would be the highest river level since July 3, 2008, when the river crested at 42.2 feet. The record high reading on the river is 48.53 feet reached on Aug. 8, 1993. A crest of 42.5 feet would also close many roads in low-lying rural areas.

Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management director Dick Knaup said Friday that while many low-lying areas were flooded briefly, the rain didn't create significant problems.

"The dominoes were not stacked together in a row for it to be a disaster like ones we've had in the past couple of years," Knaup said. "It was a flooding event in some places but not that great of flashing flooding. It didn't rain hard enough, quick enough for it to cause the great problem that could have easily occurred."

Jim Bollinger, emergency management director for Bollinger County, reported the Castor River near Zalma went over its banks, flooding nearby areas.

bblackwell@semissourian.com

388-3628

rkeller@semissourian.com

388-3642

Pertinent addresses:

Cape Girardeau, MO

Marble Hill, MO

Delta, MO

Zalma, MO

Kelso, MO

Leopold, MO