Mississippi River Flooding This Week

Mississippi River water levels have shot up over the past couple of weeks due to a series of strong storms.  Flooding has closed roads and swamped thousands of acres in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. Crests, in some cases 10 feet above flood stage, have occurred throughout the week.  Many cities are struggling for flood protection and could use the help of Big Bags USA Flood Barriers!

2 Mississippi River Bridges Closed


The Champ Clark Bridge in Louisiana, MO closed this past Sunday at 5pm, making it difficult for those traveling on US 54 to go back and forth between Missouri and Illinois.  The nearest bridge for them to use is 35 miles north in Hannibal, MO.  The flood waters aren't expected to recede from the roadways until the weekend.  The Quincy Memorial Bridge in Quincy, IL shut down Monday morning.  The impact was less than that in Missouri because the area has 2 bridges and traffic was just directed to Bayview Bridge which sits higher than the Memorial.

Emergency Management


The Mississippi at St. Louis is expected to crest 2 feet above flood stage on Sunday, but if the flood worsens, the revitalization efforts around the Arch could be delayed.  Route 79 was closed near the tiny tourist town of Clarksville, MO, where locals, volunteers and nearby inmates worked to build a sandbag wall.  The town currently has no permanent flood protection.  Grafton, IL, another tourist town, was also threatened by the flooding of the Mississippi.  It is expected to reach 9 feet above flood stage on Saturday in this area.

Mississippi Reached Flood Stage


On Tuesday evening, the Mississippi River was at 32 feet and rising!  It is forecasted to continue rising throughout the weekend and at this rate, Cape Girardeau will have to close the floodgate at Themis Street on Friday.  If it reaches the moderate stage at 37 feet, tributaries will begin flooding causing more problems.  Sooner or later the Mississippi flooding could pour over into the Ohio River. The river level depends largely on the amount of rainfall north of the area. More rain is expected to occur over the weekend.  

Illinois Road Closures 


Illinois 100 near Grafton closed Wednesday and additional closings are expected.  The moderate flood stage on the Mississippi at Grafton is 24 feet and Wednesday morning it was already at 25 feet.  It is expected to crest Saturday at about 26.3 feet.  Alton is currently in minor flood stage and but is not expected to increase to moderate flood stage.  The St. Louis area however, isn't currently experiencing overflow because the river has more capacity there and the Missouri hasn't flooded yet.

Flooding Forecast 


Although more rain is expected, the predicted rainfall doesn't appear to be heavy enough to send the river back up according to the National Weather Service.  The excess water could slow the recession of the waters, but shouldn't cause a second crest to occur in Missouri.  Illinois is still being impacted by the flooding. Illinois 100 is still closed and Brussels Ferry is shut down.  The Mississippi River is still rising in that area and the road is expected to be closed anywhere from a week to 10 days.

Clarksville's board has opted not to pay for flood preparation or cleanup; therefore, businesses and residents are left to build up flood defenses themselves.  If you know anyone affected by the flooding of the Mississippi River this week, let them know Big Bags USA is here to help!  As an alternative to sandbags that take hours to built up a wall with, our system deploys 200 times faster, saving you time and money!  Give us a call today at 1-800-337-0537!        

Sources: 
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/flooding-closes-mississippi-river-bridges-24451943
http://www.semissourian.com/story/2098787.html
http://www.bnd.com/2014/07/09/3293756/rising-mississippi-river-causing.html
http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/forecasters-predict-lower-water-levels-mississippi-river-towns

If you have an immediate need for our systems, or have any questions for us, please Call us Toll Free at 1-800-337-0537 or visit www.BigBagsUSA.com.

D.R.I.P.S.
Disaster Relief & Innovative
Protection Systems, LLC
(573) 480-6699

Let's Connect!

ALWAYS READY TO HELP LOCAL, STATE, & FEDERAL AGENCIES ... BE PREPARED! 

Location: Camdenton, MO 65020, USA

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