River rising, but road flood threat lessens

WATER WORRIES

BY BOB MILLER ~ Southeast Missourian

DUTCHTOWN, Mo. -- The river and the sandbags are still rising.

But so far, the Army Corps of Engineers is holding firmly to its prediction.

The Corps relayed positive news to the residents of Dutchtown Saturday, saying that, for now, it doesn't appear the flood water will reach the height of Highway 74, and their assistance will not be needed to build a sandbag levee on the road.

That's encouraging news for all who live north of the highway.

It's also good news for workers who commute to Cape Girardeau and use Highway 74 to get around construction traffic on Interstate 55.

Unless a Cape Girardeau Mississippi River crest forecast of 45 feet, 2 inches is reached, Highway 74 will likely remain open, said Gary Moody, a Corps of Engineers deputy area commander. He said closure of the roadway could occur before that point if the river gets close to 45 feet and heavy rains are expected.

The National Weather Service has predicted a crest of 44 feet for Wednesday, two days later than an earlier forecast of 44 feet. The river is still rising, but at a much slower rate than expected, leaving residents hopeful that the crest forecast could be lowered before Wednesday.

Taught by experience

Residents remain uneasy, however, as experience has taught them that crests can fall, then rise again after more rain.

"That's the way it done us in '93," said Imogene Dumey, who lives in a home on Highway 74. The river eventually crested at 48 feet in 1993.

Moody said he is particularly concerned about how much rain falls to the west and north of Dutchtown. The Mississippi River Diversion Channel provides drainage for Southeast Missouri as far north as Fredericktown.

Forecasters are calling for as much as 3 inches of rain in the region today and Monday, followed by dry weather.

The residents in Dutchtown can estimate where the water level will be locally by the height of the Mississippi River. They recall that when the river rises to 44 feet, the water from the channel is at road level.

However, the Corps uses sophisticated equipment and numerous other factors to predict how high the water might get in Dutchtown. And Moody said it will take 45 feet, 2 inches at Cape Girardeau to reach the road this time.

Today, the Corps will conduct a more detailed reading to predict how high the floodwaters may go in Dutchtown.

Moody said that if a crest of 45 feet, 2 inches or higher is forecasted, the Corps would decide when to start building a temporary levee depending on how quickly the water is rising. Until that decision is made, the Corps will closely monitor the situation and provide technical assistance. Their next move would involve an intense monitoring of earthen levees and a coordinated effort of building a levee with the Missouri Department of Transportation and Cape Girardeau County, Moody said.

Several houses on the north side of the highway would be at risk of flood damage if the water reached the highway.

But even if the water does not reach the roadway, houses on the south side of the highway will remain susceptible to the creeping water. At least five houses on the south side face inevitable risk, residents say.

To that end, residents and volunteers -- many who began preparing sandbags late into the night Thursday -- continued removing furniture and building sandbag walls around homes on Saturday.

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127