ICE FLOES QUICKLY CLOGGING RIVER; COAST GUARD URGES BOATS TO BE CAREFUL

Prolonged cold has increased the amount of ice in the Mississippi River, prompting the Coast Guard to warn mariners and sightseers to be careful.

"We're preparing to send out a notice to mariners to use extreme caution in the area due to the icing," said Lt. Tom Tarrants of the Coast Guard station in Paducah, Ky. "Barges shouldn't be greatly affected at this point but they should use caution. If they don't have a tow, they're a lot more unstable."

People watching the fast-moving ice floes from the banks should also use care, Tarrants said.

"It's pretty neat to look at, but we'd hate it if someone fell in because the water is so treacherous right now," he said. "It's the cold and the ice floes themselves. There are a lot of big chunks of ice coming down. It's very dangerous."

Tarrants said the St. Louis harbor reported even more icing farther north. That and the National Weather Service's prediction of continued sub-freezing temperatures makes him believe the situation will worsen.

"Right now it's just a lot of ice in the river, but it's flowing; it's moving so it's not stagnating to cause a buildup," he said. "We're keeping an eye on it, monitoring it each day to determine how dense it's getting.

"Conditions are probably going to deteriorate over the next day or two. The freezing weather's sticking around."

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Southeast Missouri today with snow and sleet. Total accumulation is expected to be 3 to 5 inches. The snow will taper off tonight, but temperatures should drop into the single digits by Friday.

That is bad news for workers of Flatiron Construction who are working to set up a coffer dam in the middle of the Mississippi River for the next phase of construction of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.

"We're going to go out next week and put up an ice shield for the coffer dam construction," Flatiron project manager Matt Girard said Tuesday. "We're kind of evaluating the river on a day-by-day basis, and we may have to hold off for a week or a day depending on how the ice looks next week."

A delay could cost Flatiron money if it sets the construction schedule back far enough.

"We're still working on the tower on the beach; the ice has no impact there," Girard said. "If the ice gets worse we may have to suspend work out on the river."

Girard said he doesn't have enough information to say whether he will have to shut down the operation at this time.

"We keep our eye on the forecast just like everyone else, and the longest things that come out are your five- and six-day forecasts," he said. "Those don't look real good right now, but we can't proceed with a work shutdown based on a prediction.

"We have to plan for the best, and if you have to shut down, fine. Plan for a shutdown and the weather turns good, and it's real hard to get up and get going again."

ICE SAFETY TIPS

Some guidelines from the Missouri Water Patrol concerning ice and ice-related activities:

1. Wear a flotation device when going onto any frozen water. This will greatly increase your chances of survival and extraction from the water should you fall through the ice.

2. Never traverse ice without someone to act as a rescuer. At least one person should always remain in a position to summon help if anything should go wrong.

3. Never cross ice that has objects frozen into it. Objects can cause flaws in the ice and create weak spots that will break under stress.

4. Never cross ice that has formed over moving water. Even slow-moving water can create thin spots. Thin spots in ice are virtually undetectable.

5. Ice should be a minimum thickness of 6 inches for fishermen and skaters. It should be clear with no objects frozen into it. Slushy, melting ice is considered very dangerous and should be avoided.

6. Always let someone know where you are going, what you will be doing and when you are expected to return. Notify the person as soon as possible if your plans change.

7. Ice fish or skate at a location that is easily accessible to rescue personnel and equipment.

8. Take along an extra pair of warm, dry clothing if you are going to a remote location. Change clothes as soon as possible if you fall through the ice and get out.

9. Never drive vehicles onto ice. The added weight and operation could overstress even the thickest ice and cause it to break.

10. If not properly insulated, using a heater while ice fishing could cause the ice to melt and break.