How high's the water, Mama? (Mississippi R floods)

[throatybeard]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/06/18/midwest.flooding/index.html

Some folks upriver are in a world of hurt, and of course all the folks on tributaries in IA, IN and IL.

We've been going down to the Landing every other day for a few days. Yesterday 2/3 of the face of a stop sign submerged during the 45 minutes while we were having a beer. The Mississippi is moving so fast that when I threw a rock in the water, the splash occurred over about a two-foot area in front of the impact.

We're going back down tonight, so I intend to get some pictures this time.

Hannibal 28.0, flood 16.0, crest 31.8 June 20 (would tie record high)
Louisiana 25.2, flood 15.0, crest 28.4 June 21 (would tie record high)
Clarksville 35.3, flood 25.0, crest 38.0 June 21 (would beat record high)
Grafton 27.6, flood 18.0, crest 31.4 June 23
Alton 30.4, flood 21.0, crest 33.3 June 24
Saint Louis 36.0, flood 30.0, crest 40.2 June 24

[hurleyfor3]

Another 500-year flood. Like the one the Midwest had 15 years ago.

[-jk]

Too derned many levies. Gotta let the water loose. Do its thing. Floods weren't meant to be contained; c.f. flood plain.

-jk

[TNTDevil]

Another 500-year flood. Like the one the Midwest had 15 years ago.And I was there...

[throatybeard]

Guys, I'm gonna have some pictures down here, but the main thing to remember when you see my pics is that we're basically not in danger down here. (East STL might be because of hypothesized pressure on the levee, but they survived much higher before so ESTL is probably OK).

That said, a new levee break occurred just maybe 60 miles north of STL in Winfield MO, and we want to volunteer for tomorrow, but we can't get good info from the Red Cross about where they need people. The only clear info we've gotten in the last week is from the Obama campaign. Show up at this place, between these hours, with this stuff, at this time. But that was up in Quincy IL, where they may have dodged the bullet.

We want to help, but at this point we can't figure how other than to send a credit card payment to the Red Cross. The RC is telling us to call back in 24.


PS -jk is right. Just one more way the arrogance of Man makes him think he can beat nature.

[Lavabe]

What's up with the Missouri River? In 1993, the flooding in Chesterfield and St. Charles was really bad. Is it on the rise as well?

[throatybeard]

The Missouri is up but it's not bad.

See flood pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2108046&l=884a0&id=1315029

We're going to take pictures in Winfield if we can.

[ArkieDukie]

Guys, I'm gonna have some pictures down here, but the main thing to remember when you see my pics is that we're basically not in danger down here. (East STL might be because of hypothesized pressure on the levee, but they survived much higher before so ESTL is probably OK).

That said, a new levee break occurred just maybe 60 miles north of STL in Winfield MO, and we want to volunteer for tomorrow, but we can't get good info from the Red Cross about where they need people. The only clear info we've gotten in the last week is from the Obama campaign. Show up at this place, between these hours, with this stuff, at this time. But that was up in Quicy IL, where they may have dodged the bullet.

We want to help, but at this point we can't figure how other than to send a credit card payment to the Red Cross. The RC is telling us to call back in 24.


PS -jk is right. Just one more way the arrogance of Man makes him think he can beat nature.

I just saw a story on the CNN website that mentioned something about AmeriCorps coordinating volunteer efforts in Winfield. I don't know how you would go about contacting them, but it might be worth looking into.

[throatybeard]

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/06/19/midwest.flooding/index.html

We ended up sandbagging in Winfield. The Salvation Army is set up at the HS. They're able to do something like 25K-30K bags a day. It's fairly well organized. You just show up and they show you where to go, what to do, they water you, sunblock you, and feed you hot dogs. The Calvary Church just west on MO 47 is accepting relief items. The bags are for secondary levees.

There were three more breaches in Lincoln County this afternoon. The aerials on Fox 2 news are incredible. I think Winfield/Old Monroe east of MO 79 is in deep trouble. Railroad tracks with sandbags act as a levee in some spots. Foley, just 4 miles north, is soaked and is rising about 4 inches an hour. Houses that were not underwater when we were up there a few hours ago are now. Oh, and thunderstorms are moving in from the NW.

What's really sad is Louisiana MO, which is maybe 40 miles upriver. Unlike Lincoln County, they don't have a bunch of nearby population (in St Charles County) to volunteer, and apparently coordination efforts early on didn't focus on them much. Interviewed people said they just felt abandoned. Levees broke and there they are.

The Post-Dispatch says Alton IL is setting up a relief effort. The ferries from Grafton IL are suspended.

The forecast crests for places like StL have come down a little becuase of the levee failures upriver. Some of the expected records breaking 1993 won't happen becuase of the levee breaks. The pictures you see on my facebook may be only 1 foot or so below the crest in StL because of the failures upriver.

Lavabe, every major Missouri river town in the eastern half of the state is above flood stage, but most of them only about 3 or 4 feet. St Chuck is the highest becuase the Mississippi won't accept much water from the Missouri.

Fox 2 KTVI's website now has info about how to donate money

[DevilAlumna]

Thanks, Throaty, for the pics and updates.

I second the motion for donations to the Red Cross or other local support agencies.

[throatybeard]

KMOV has some good slideshows:

http://www.kmov.com/perl/common/slideshow/sspop.pl?recid=10481&location=www.kmov.com

www.kmov.com

[throatybeard]

Lincoln County's last levee is in trouble. Unfortunately, this article lacks the map found in the print edition.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/9DE37534FA8F13CD8625747300124F95?OpenDocument

[Lavabe]

Lincoln County's last levee is in trouble. Unfortunately, this article lacks the map found in the print edition.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/9DE37534FA8F13CD8625747300124F95?OpenDocument

Thanks for the update. PM me if you find the map. I'm concerned about some friends at Southern Illinois- Edwardsville. I imagine the university is okay, but it draws a lot of students from the affected region.

Send us your water!!;)

Thanks again,
Lavabe

[throatybeard]

Things are getting worse upriver.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/9DE37534FA8F13CD8625747300124F95?OpenDocument

Our [latest] crest has been revised upward, but still short for 40', exiting but not alarming.

Lav, I don't know much about Edwardsville, but I get 540 AMSL for it. East StL is 405. My house is 495 and to get to us, bout the whole city would have to flood in a Noahan mess. I'm guessing SIUE is cool.