Rain could continue into weekend

Although Southeast Missouri saw a slight reprieve from the damp weather Wednesday afternoon, the rain and storms are far from over.

According to the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., additional storms are possible through the rest of the week and into the weekend. Beverly Poole, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the area is "stuck in a pattern."

A succession of fronts with low-pressure systems are making their way through the area, she said, bringing with them multiple chances of rain over Southeast Missouri. Poole said during the last 24 to 48 hours, the area has received one-and-a-half to 3 inches of rain. Bollinger County, which was under a flash flood warning about 3 a.m. Wednesday, had received about 3 to 6 inches of rain.

Bollinger County emergency management coordinator James Bollinger said the storms had pretty much dissipated by the time they reached the county and caused no damage or major flooding. Heavy downpours overnight Tuesday did cause the Castor River, which flows through Bollinger County, to rise about 10 feet, he said, which prompted emergency officials to notify campers near the river to move to higher ground.

A flash flood watch for all of Southeast Missouri and parts of Southern Illinois was canceled Wednesday morning by the National Weather Service after it reported the "heavy rain [has] exited the area with only light rain in its wake." Poole said these consistent "afternoon breaks" have been key in preventing major flooding in the area because they allow runoff from creeks and streams to "catch up" and keep levels down.

As of Wednesday, neither the Missouri Department of Transportation nor the Cape Girardeau County Highway Department reported any flood-related road closures in the Southeast Missourian readership area. Poole also said there have been no reports of injuries or major rescues in the area.

While the rain has not yet caused any flooding problems locally, it has caused the relative humidity to rise. Poole said today's temperature will stay in the 80s, but the rising humidity will contribute to a heat index of almost 100 degrees.

By the time the systems move through, Poole said she expects the area will have received a total of 3 to 4 inches, which is about the average total rainfall for the month of August, but still the storms are unusual. Typically, when Southeast Missouri receives continual bouts of heavy rains and storms, it's the result of a tropical storm making its way up from the Gulf of Mexico, she said.

"August is typically our hottest and our driest month, so to get this kind of rain in its own little weather system is definitely original for this part of the area," Poole said.

As more rain continues to make its way to the area, she said the National Weather Service will continue to work with local emergency management officials to take precautions and issue warnings as soon as possible.

"Sometimes these storms can dump 2 to 3 inches of rain in 15 or 20 minutes, so listen to those flash flood warnings," she said. "Don't ever drive across flowing water and be aware of your surroundings if you're near a creek or body of water that could rise quickly."

srinehart@semissourian.com

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