General Discussion

loyalsister

(13,390 posts) Wed Dec 30, 2015, 09:43 PM Dec 2015

285 roads are closed in MO due to flooding and much of STL is underwater

First responders from outisde cities and towns are deploying to the hard hit areas.

The Mississippi River was expected to crest Thursday in downtown St. Louis at 43.7 feet, nearly 14 feet over flood stage. That would be the second highest crest on record, nudging aside the April 1973 flood of 43.2 feet. The forecast crest still would be about 6 feet lower than the record from Aug. 1, 1993.

The notoriously fast-rising Meramec was causing the most havoc, advancing toward I-44 and against the new levee system at Valley Park, which was built after a record flood there in December 1982. The Meramec jumped 27 feet from Saturday to late Tuesday, when it was at 35 feet and heading toward a crest Thursday of 43 feet — more than 3 feet over the record. It will test the top of the levee.

The Meramec also threatened several other records along its lower reaches.

Valley Park Mayor Mike Pennise said he recommended that people living near the levee move out and promised to order a mandatory evacuation when the river reaches 40 feet. He said the levee protects to 44 feet, and flood gates to 42.5 feet, but crews can top the thick gates with sandbags if necessary.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/flooding-spreads-through-the-st-louis-region/article_d1ef5a26-b8c8-5cb1-b929-4867cbf72eae.html

Flood records that were set in spring and summer months are being broken. You'd think it was getting warmer or something!
I wonder if there will be some climate change converts. It will be interesting to see what MO republican legislators have to say about it.

12 replies

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285 roads are closed in MO due to flooding and much of STL is underwater (Original Post) loyalsister Dec 2015 OP

Message auto-removed Name removed Dec 2015 #1

Global warming plays a role but Gman Dec 2015 #2

If it would not be this extreme without global warming loyalsister Dec 2015 #4

Warmer Pacific water was first reported Gman Dec 2015 #7

Politicians in the area are likely to say 2naSalit Dec 2015 #3

Does Missouri have gay folk? Isn't that what causes disasters. Oh, yeah...just on the West Coast. libdem4life Dec 2015 #5

This system is also affecting Central Illinois. icymist Dec 2015 #6

I'm so sorry your family is in danger loyalsister Dec 2015 #8

I was just in contact with my Petersbug family. icymist Dec 2015 #9

I just saw a pic of the Mississippi River at the Gateway Arch, SheilaT Dec 2015 #10

It is higher loyalsister Dec 2015 #11

This flood is different than '93 pintobean Dec 2015 #12

Response to loyalsister (Original post)

Name removed Message auto-removed

Gman

(24,780 posts)

2. Global warming plays a role but

Reply to loyalsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 09:55 PM

Dec 2015

This is an El Niño thing, one of the strongest if not the strongest on record. Global warming exacerbates the El Niño effects. But does not solely or even marginally drive what's happening. It's weather, not climate.

loyalsister

(13,390 posts)

4. If it would not be this extreme without global warming

Reply to Gman (Reply #2)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 11:07 PM

Dec 2015

your claim seems to be contractory. Exacerbates would seem to me that it plays at least a "marginal" role in driving the disaster that is taking place.

Browning says there is another factor to consider. “We’re seeing much warmer than normal waters from the west coast of California all the way to Alaska.” Browning says. “We haven’t really seen that in other El Nino’s. This is not a direct effect of El Nino , it’s more of a direct effect of global warming and climate change.” “It’s going to be interesting to see how this will effect this El Nino.”

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2015/08/14/godzilla-el-nino-forming-in-pacific-st-louis-meteorologist-studies-impact-here/

Gman

(24,780 posts)

7. Warmer Pacific water was first reported

Reply to loyalsister (Reply #4)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 11:55 PM

Dec 2015

A couple of years ago. I'm not an expert, but it seems to correlate to warmer Arctic waters and a warmer Humboldt Current and would be global warming related. El Nino waters are much further south and much closer to the equator. There may have been worse El Ninos in the past. We've only been keeping records since the 1950's.

I'm not going to debate the issue with you though. I'll leave that to the experts.

BTW, it's not shown nor is it thought that global warming causes an El Niño event

2naSalit

(86,643 posts)

3. Politicians in the area are likely to say

Reply to loyalsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 10:35 PM

Dec 2015

that it was an act of gawd.

libdem4life

(13,877 posts)

5. Does Missouri have gay folk? Isn't that what causes disasters. Oh, yeah...just on the West Coast.

Reply to 2naSalit (Reply #3)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 11:12 PM

Dec 2015

Seriously, I have family in St. Louis and we're all praying.

icymist

(15,888 posts)

6. This system is also affecting Central Illinois.

Reply to loyalsister (Original post)

Wed Dec 30, 2015, 11:32 PM

Dec 2015

Fighting the flood: Taylorville teens missing; devastation in Kincaid; sandbagging continues elsewhere

Divers searched for two missing teenagers near Sangchris Lake and Pawnee, and a five-block-long levee was being furiously constructed in Petersburg as communities throughout central Illinois on Wednesday continued their battle against floodwaters left behind by a three-day rainstorm that ended Monday.

The Sangamon River was expected to crest Thursday just short of record levels, which would begin to bring relief to many residents who have dealt with deep and dangerous standing water all week.

The most serious of Wednesday's developments was near the Sangamon-Christian county line, where authorities searched floodwaters for two 18-year-olds from Taylorville.

Devan Everett and Brandon Mann, were last seen at Mann's house on Monday, Taylorville police said. Divers concentrated their search in the near severely flooded areas around Sangchris Lake and Pawnee, which is where Mann's wireless phone was tracked around 12:20 a.m. Tuesday.
http://www.sj-r.com/news/20151230/fighting-flood-taylorville-teens-missing-devastation-in-kincaid-sandbagging-continues-elsewhere/?Start=1

(FYI, Half of my family is in this area, from Chatum to St. Petersburg.)

loyalsister

(13,390 posts)

8. I'm so sorry your family is in danger

Reply to icymist (Reply #6)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 12:01 AM

Dec 2015

I saw footage of a house floating along the Meremac river. So many people are in danger and affected. Just about 300 miles west, they are dealing with ordinary snow storms that I remember growing up with.

icymist

(15,888 posts)

9. I was just in contact with my Petersbug family.

Reply to loyalsister (Reply #8)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 12:07 AM

Dec 2015

They're up in PA right now, so they're okay. Their house, that I do not know. Also, the area where Rt 29 is closed is where I used to live back in '91. And, I just got off FB with a friend who lives in Springfield and she says that there is little flooding there and the city is mostly unaffected. Stay safe everyone!

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

10. I just saw a pic of the Mississippi River at the Gateway Arch,

Reply to loyalsister (Original post)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 02:34 AM

Dec 2015

and it looks considerably higher than it did in 1993. That year we (hubby and 2 kids) went to St. Louis for the 4th of July. I don't recall encountering any closed roads at the time.

loyalsister

(13,390 posts)

11. It is higher

Reply to SheilaT (Reply #10)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 05:04 AM

Dec 2015

Overall, it keeps getting worse than predicted. The worst thing is this caught people completely off guard. It's bound to freeze long before the waters fully subside and we can only hope that it won't unleash flooding again if it melts too quickly. There's no telling how long this will last.

400 roads closed now. It's quite a switch to be "water locked" in these parts.

The death toll from flooding in Missouri rose to 14 Wednesday, and at least two rivers rose higher than during devastating floods in 1993, officials said, but the region was bracing for more flooding.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/death-toll-rises-missouri-floods-threat-not-over-n488181

pintobean

(18,101 posts)

12. This flood is different than '93

Reply to SheilaT (Reply #10)

Thu Dec 31, 2015, 10:25 AM

Dec 2015

We got all the rain locally this time, which affects all of the tributaries to the major rivers. In '93, most of the rain and snow melt was coming from north and west of here, so it just affected the Missouri and the Mississippi.

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