Flooding concerns raised again in Mo.; more rain in forecast

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Some Missouri communities may see minor to moderate flooding this week in the wake of drenching storms, the National Weather Service said Tuesday, even as forecasts are calling for more rain.

"I wish I could tell you when it was going to stop," said Jon Carney, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in suburban St. Louis.

"We're in a pattern right now that is very conducive to allowing warm, moist air masses from the Gulf to get to the Plains and Midwest."

Heavy rain on Monday caused rising rivers and flash flooding in some parts of the state. Northwest Missouri got little to no rain, but places south and east of the line from Kirksville to Joplin got as much as 3 inches.

In St. Louis, the storms forced a rainout of the Cardinals' season opener at Busch Stadium, and broke a 111-year-old record for the city's wettest March. St. Louis received 8.3 inches of rain for the month, more than twice the usual amount. The previous record is 8.25 inches was set in 1897.

The National Weather Service said minor flooding was expected along the Bourbeuse River at Union. Also, various points in the Meramec River basin, including at Sullivan, are forecast to go above flood stage by Wednesday. But damage is not expected to be nearly as bad as last month, when the Meramec crested at near-record levels in Valley Park, Pacific, Eureka and Fenton.

Flood warnings have been issued for the Black River near Annapolis and the Cuivre River near Troy, as well as for parts of south central and southwest Missouri.

At Pacific, where about 200 homes and businesses were damaged in last month's floods, the Meramec is forecast to rise 5 feet above the 15-foot flood stage early Wednesday.

Carney said more rain is in the forecast Wednesday night, Thursday, and late in the weekend.

"The Meramec River basin is in the cross hairs," he said. "It's going to fall on that basin.

The Meramec at Valley Park was expected to rise to 22 feet, 6 feet above flood stage, by Saturday.

At Cairo, Ill., where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers meet, water was at 51 feet, 11 feet above flood stage.

The Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau to Baton Rouge, La., is at or above flood stage, according to the National Weather Service in Memphis, Tenn.

Meanwhile, state public safety officials on Tuesday warned Missourians about potential hazards associated with flooding, from flash flooding to exposure to microorganisms in wet carpeting.

They also emphasized the importance of not using a portable generator indoors to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.