Water rescues were underway in the De Soto area this afternoon (April 18), following heavy rain that produced widespread flash flooding, reports Warren Robinson, director of Jefferson County’s Emergency Management Office.
Homes and other structures east of Main Street and the railroad tracks in De Soto were affected most by the flash flooding, he said. An electricity substation was underwater, stripping power from the town and surrounding area.
At 4 p.m., AmerenMissouri reported that 4,897 customers of 9,643 in the De Soto ZIP code were without power.
“De Soto is the biggest working incident, but we have other low areas near waterways,” Robinson said.
Law enforcement and fire crews are using equipment to help folks trapped in vehicles and homes in the De Soto area, Robinson added.
He could not say, however, how many people or structures were affected.
“There are quite a few neighborhoods down there and there’s the potential here for subdivisions to be affected,” he said. “It (the flash flooding) came up really fast, and we anticipate it will go down as quickly as it came up. But, the rains continue to fall. It’s a flash flooding incident, so it can pop up at moment’s notice. So, drivers need to be careful out there.”
Walther Park in De Soto, which lies along Joachim Creek, was completely underwater, Robinson said.
The Red Cross was working to set up a temporary shelter for flood victims at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1620 Boyd Street, De Soto, which officials expected to have open by 3:30 p.m.
There were reports of flooding issues in Festus, Crystal City, Hillsboro, Cedar Hill and Jefferson R-7. No Arnold homes or roads were flooded, interim City Administrator Bob Shockey said this afternoon.
He said flood-prone homes long ago were removed after federally funded buyouts, so the only real flooding the city sees is at Arnold City Park.
As of this afternoon, the park was not flooded, said Susie Boone, the city’s director of Park’s and Recreation, but she expects that to change this weekend.
She said the Meramec River was expected to crest at 36.7 feet by 3 p.m. Sunday, and water usually starts covering the back of the park at 30 to 32 feet.
As of this afternoon the river level was 24.5 feet, Boone added.
Pomme Creek also often floods, from back waters from the Mississippi River, which right now is 9 feet above flood stage, Boone said, but as of this afternoon there was no flooding on the golf course.
However, she said the course was expected to be closed at least through the weekend.
Many roads across the county were closed because of flooding, Robinson said.
Closed roads included Skullbones Road at Ficken Road in the Cedar Hill area; Main Street in De Soto from Frederica Avenue to Clark Avenue; Hwy. Y at Ware Church Road in the Hillsboro area; Laguna Palma Road at Charter Church Road in De Soto; Boyd Branch Road at Laguna Palma Road in De Soto; Second Street at St. Louis Street in De Soto; Rivermont Trail at Hidden Meadows in House Springs; Hwy. V between Valle Mines and De Soto; part of Little Dutch Creek Road in Cedar Hill and part of Flucom Road in De Soto.
Emergency personnel have set up a command post at Miller and Main streets in De Soto, Robinson said.
He said radar showed that the county got between 1 and 4 inches of rain today, with the southwest corner receiving the most, between 3 1/2 and 4 inches.
Jefferson County 911 Dispatch received a report that the Valle Lake dam south of De Soto was bursting, but 911 Chief Travis Williams said the report was in error.
“It wasn’t breaking, it was just water going to a spillway,” he said. “The people near the Valle Lake dam are in no greater danger from water than others in the county.”
Williams said his agency issued a general warning to anyone living near water in Jefferson County to seek higher ground.
Ted Howell photo: Up to 4 inches of rain fell in south Jefferson County on Thursday. Shown is Terry Courtois, owner of an automotive repair business on DeWitt Street in De Soto. He owns the blue car.
--Kim Robertson
