The deadly flooding in Missouri toward the end of 2015 and beginning of 2016 left many homes and businesses submerged in floodwaters.
Cape Girardeau
Hundreds of people were evacuated in the cities throughout Missouri such as Pacific, Eureka, Valley Park, Cape Girardeau and Arnold, and many of their homes took in water and subsequent damage from the floods.
Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau
Smelterville Area
The flooding forced hundreds of road closures, including Interstates 55 and 44.
Highway 44 at 141
Sadly, at least 24 people were killed by the dangerous flooding in Missouri and the surrounding states. Out of the 14 deaths in Missouri, 13 were caused by vehicles being swept off flooded roads.
I-44
Flooding on the middle portion of the Mississippi River and some of its tributaries reached levels not seen during the winter months since they started keeping records in the middle 1800s.
I-44
"Devastating, record flooding has affected hundreds of homes and businesses across the St. Louis region and left a trail of destruction and debris," Gov. Nixon said in a press release." "Missouri response agencies, businesses, volunteers and citizens have responded heroically to the challenges, and now as we work to recover and move forward, I'm requesting federal resources for debris removal to speed the recovery process and ease the burden on strained local communities."
As a result, President Obama signed a federal emergency declaration for Missouri, allowing federal aid to be used to help with local and state response efforts.
Bagnell Dam, Lake of the Ozarks
When areas around the Lake of the Ozarks reported in excess of seven inches of rain in a 36-hour period, Ameren Missouri began fighting to lower the water level. They opened all 12 floodgates of Bagnell Dam, nearly doubling the dam’s flow with the turbines at full capacity.
Bagnell Dam
In spite of the floodgates opening, the Lake still rose past 660 feet (considered full pool).
Bagnell Dam
When the floodgates were opened it also meant the Osage River would rise dramatically, reaching 10 feet higher than it was before the rains began on Christmas Day.
Near Bagnell Dam
This was just the beginning of several days of the floodgates being open wider, the rivers rising even higher, and the rain continuing to fall.
To see the full videos, watch below:
It has been less than a month, and many people are still recovering from the devastation. The seemingly endless rain did eventually stop, but not without causing some major damage. Were you victimized by this flood? What was your experience? Share your comments, photos, and stories below.
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