At Least 12 Dead In Midwest Flooding - Meramec River To Crest 20 Feet Over Flood Stage - AP

[hatrack]

FENTON, Mo. — Flood-weary Midwesterners fought Friday to save their homes and businesses from rivers spilling over their banks after rainstorms blamed for at least 16 deaths moved through the region.

Thousands of people from Arkansas through Ohio were staying in shelters or with relatives as flood waters lapped against their homes.

Major Byron Medloch of the Salvation Army said Friday that 1,000 people displaced by the Meramec River in eastern Missouri were housed in shelters. Another 1,000 were in shelters near Poplar Bluff in far southeast Missouri, where the surging Black River breached several levees.

EDIT

Thursday, the first day of spring, brought much-needed sunshine to some flooded communities, but many swelling rivers were not expected to crest until the weekend in Arkansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana and Kentucky. The worst flooding happened in smaller rivers across the nation's midsection. Major channels such as the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio rivers saw only minor flooding. In Fenton, a St. Louis suburb, Jeff Rogles joined dozens of volunteers to fill sandbags and pile them against downtown businesses near the fast-rising Meramec River, which was expected to reach more than 20 feet above flood stage in some spots.

EDIT

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/5638542.html

[TwilightGardener]

1. Wow--that's a lot. Sad. Prayers for my fellow Midwesterners.

[hatrack]

2. Worst flooding in this neck of the woods since 1982

This last one shows the flood level in 1982 - still the all-time record.

On edit: check out this slideshow of recent photos from the White River, Arkansas:

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee268/paddlegal/flood%20pics/?albumview=slideshow

[RazzleCat]

3. Looks like it will miss me

but only by a wee bit, I live in St. Louis county (Crestwood). Less than 5 miles from Valley Park (the Meramec part of the flood). So far the only problems I have had are some water in the basement, and massive traffic as persons try and get around all the road closures near me (junction of 44 and 270 for those who know the area). My neighbor thinks that they may have lost their rental property located in Valley Park, that this is just too much water damage to repair, but they will not know for a while yet.