Dunklin County still in clear; Pemiscot County areas prepare for rising waters

Although several areas in Southeast Missouri have been severely affected by recent weather which has resulted in serious flooding issues, Dunklin County is still in the clear for the most part.

According to Larry Kelley, Dunklin County's Emergency Management Agency director, the Bootheel area of Dunklin County doesn't currently have any flooding that is impacting the area.

"Families and everyone in the county at this time are still able to remain in their homes," Kelley said. "We do have five state roads closed in the county, but those locations are primarily north of Campbell and west of Malden specifically."

Kelley said on Tuesday that the National Weather Service's prediction of approximately another three to four inches of rain over the next 24-48 hours would will likely end sometime this evening.

"We will get a reprieve Thursday and Friday, with another system moving in on Saturday," Kelley noted. "However, it will not be quite as intense. Dunklin County has been very fortunate up to this point. We'll just have to continue to monitor the situation."

In regards to levee concerns, the local official said that he visited area levees on Tuesday morning and did not see any locations where the levee integrity was compromised, noting that the water's level was still several feet away from the top portion of the levee.

Other areas in the surrounding region and further north in the SEMO area have not been as fortunate.

At Caruthersville, Mo., in Pemiscot County, concerns are steadily rising in regards to the rising of the Mississippi River which is contained by flood walls that could potentially be compromised if waters continue to rise rapidly.

Kennett resident Rick Samples is a part of the efforts taking place there, serving as a supervisor and coordinator for efforts to include the feeding of local volunteers.

According to Samples, there have been numerous volunteers that have offered their help with the project from several cities around, beginning on Tuesday when groups met and began planning out a strategy to combat the flooding.

"We had Wardell, Kennett, Hayti, and several other areas represented in this effort," Samples said. "Red Cross helped serve almost 200 meals through lunch and dinner on Tuesday. Loads of water were passed out to volunteers to keep workers cool."

In regards to sandbagging efforts, Samples said the approximate 100-150 volunteers have bagged and placed approximately 1,500 bags of sand per gate already.

"There are eight gates, and we still have to bag the land side of the walls," he explained. "There are 11 timbers that make the inside of the wall, which are wrapped in plastic on the riverside and a dry wall is put in place and the fill with loose sand in between.

"They place all sandbags against the wall which has to be 10-foot-high and 10-foot out in width."

Efforts taking place at the flood walls are being overseen by Director Charlie Davis of the St. Francis Levee District Caruthersville Office, according to Samples.

Also at Caruthersville, the local humane shelter is taking steps to protect the animals housed at the facility. According to the Humane Shelter President, Karol Wilcox, the facility has utilized an animal disaster trailer and set up an emergency housing shelter for flood animals.

"We have received animals from south of town and Cottonwood Point," Wilcox said. "This will be a long term housing situation until the river falls and the damage is assessed. We put out a call for donations, volunteers and supplies and as always, our community is responding."

The shelter has already received food and some monetary donations.

"Tomorrow, Kyle Held from the ASPCA will be here to assess us at the request of Caruthersville's Emergency Management Director Charlie Jones and myself," Wilcox added. "He will be bringing help in to manage a disaster shelter and help us plan in case of an evacuation where we would move the shelter to. We are extremely grateful for this help. As you know, this is a fluid situation that can change at any time and we are working with the ASPCA and Emergency Management to handle the situation. We will be housing animals that are in need. Also, Trinity Marine laid off today and some of the employees that have financial problems may need a 'feed in place' plan. We are working to get supplies to help out families that have pets and are affected by this disaster."

Senate Leader Robert N. Mayer, R-Dexter, recently toured the northern territories of Southeast Missouri, to see the devastation first-hand and to look for ways to help those citizens who are victims of the weekend storms, including the recent tornadoes that blasted their way through the area.

Most recently, some area residents of Poplar Bluff have been evacuated from their homes to an emergency shelter at the Black River Coliseum due to severe flooding of the Black River, according to a written release from the legislator's office.

Mayer also reports that there have been three levee breaches in Poplar Bluff ranging from a 50-foot to a 150-foot breach. However, state officials report the Black River is cresting and moving down at this point in time.

There are also levee breaches in along rivers in three other parts of the state, including Van Buren. In addition, there have been early evacuation reports in parts of Dexter in Stoddard County.

Senator Mayer, a southeast Missouri native whose home is located in Stoddard County, said he knows all too well the hazards of what massive amounts of rain can do to communities along the levees.

"There have been several historical accounts of tornadoes and thunderstorms tearing through our area of the state," Mayer said. "Cities along rivers both small and large are no stranger to the rising floodwaters and the dangerous conditions they can bring after these storms."

Local and national agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State Highway Patrol, State Emergency Management Agency and the American Red Cross, are working to help Missourians affected by flooding. Approximately 200 National Guard members are either on the ground or in route to assist in continued evacuation and patrol of evacuated areas.

"I praise the members of these agencies and others who are been working with local officials to help Missourians who need the most basic necessities -- food, clean water, shelter, and clothing -- which we often take for granted," said Sen. Mayer. "As I tour these areas, I pray families receive the help they need and are able to find the strength to recover from this recent string of storms."

* Daily Dunklin Democrat Managing Editor George Anderson contributed to this report.