Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma braced for more flooding yesterday as rain-swollen rivers, some at record heights, overflowed their banks, washing out hundreds of structures, closing major highways and leaving thousands of people displaced from their homes.
Days of downpours from a winter storm that set off deadly tornadoes in Texas and significant snowfall in New England has pushed rivers in the US Midwest to levels not seen in decades, the National Weather Service (NWS) and local officials aid.
The flood has closed sections of Interstate 44 and Interstate 55, both major trucking routes, along with many local roads near rivers, the Missouri Department of Transportation said yesterday.
Freezing temperatures in the area in the coming days will cause some flooded areas in Missouri and Illinois to turn icy, adding to challenges, forecasters said.
At least 27 people have died in the region’s flooding since the weekend, mostly from driving into flooded areas after storms dropped up to 12” (30cm) of rain, officials said.
Flooding has destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses and overflowing rivers could menace Southern states as the water moves downstream toward the Gulf of Mexico, the NWS said.
“Floodwaters will move downstream over the next couple of weeks, with significant river flooding expected for the lower Mississippi into mid-January,” the NWS said.
Water rose to the rooftops of some structures in Missouri towns. Governor Jay Nixon spoke with President Barack Obama on Wednesday and received a pledge of federal support.
“The president thanked the governor for his leadership during this challenging time and expressed condolences on behalf of the First Lady and himself for those who lost their lives,” spokesman Eric Schultz said on Wednesday.
Nixon has pleaded with people to heed evacuation orders and stay off flooded roadways, after the body of a motorist who was swept off a road was recovered on Wednesday.
All but one of the state’s 14 fatalities were caused by people driving into the floodwaters and Nixon has stationed troops at major road closures to help direct traffic and stop people from driving around barricades.
“This historic flooding event will continue to cause significant hazards and disruptions – from Missourians being forced from their homes, to businesses temporarily closing, to traffic congestion and impacts on interstate commerce due to the closure of a major trucking corridor,” Nixon said in a statement. “I thank the many Missourians who are assisting their neighbours by providing rooms in their homes, helping with sandbagging efforts and countless other acts of kindness.”
Two rivers west of St Louis crested at historic levels, flooding towns, disabling sewer plants and forcing hundreds of residents from their homes.
Some evacuees stayed with family or friends or went to hotels, while others found refuge in Red Cross shelters set up in the area.
Eureka, Missouri, Mayor Kevin Coffey said his town had not seen such bad flooding in 150 years and some of its oldest businesses have been damaged.
He said about 2,000 people in Eureka were cut off due to flooded roads.
The Mississippi River, the third longest river in North America, is expected to crest in the next few days in Thebes, Illinois, at 47.5’, more than a foot and a half (46cm) above the 1995 record, the NWS said.
Several levees, including one along the Meramec River near St Louis, were at risk of a breach, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reported.