Missouri governor declares emergency as Missouri River swells
By St. Louis Post-Dispatch via My Courier-Tribune
JEFFERSON CITY — Floodwaters that have inundated parts of Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota are making their way into Missouri, prompting an emergency declaration by Gov. Mike Parson.
In an announcement Wednesday, Parson said the state needs to be prepared for potential flooding along the Missouri River in the coming days.
“We have seen the tremendous, destructive force of flooding this past week in neighboring states to our north and must ensure resources are available should flooding threaten areas of our state,” the governor said. “This extension allows us to be ready to respond and support our communities.”
Flooding along the Missouri River in 2019 destroyed millions of dollars of property and left homes underwater in northwest Missouri for months.
The concern about flooding comes after Parson in April extended Missouri’s drought alert to Sept. 1.
Missouri has been under a continuous drought alert since May 2023. A prior drought alert was active from July 2022 to March 2023.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for several areas near Kansas City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is monitoring conditions along the Missouri River.
Minor flooding on the river is expected between St. Joseph and Hermann.
In Atchison County, the northwest corner of Missouri, emergency management officials Monday recommended the removal of grain and equipment from fields in the river bottom because the levees protecting farmland “new, untested and are considered vulnerable.”
Up to 18 inches of rain have fallen in some areas, pushing some rivers from Nebraska to Minnesota to record levels, requiring rescues and evacuations.
The governor’s office said declaring the emergency allows the state to directly assist local governments in responding to flooding and in recovery efforts. It also marks the first step required by the federal government to seek a major disaster declaration.
