Drenched: Heavy rain, storms cause floods, damage in region

Heavy rains Thursday kept emergency workers busy responding to flooded roads, stalled vehicles and accidents.

Cape Girardeau was hit by a deluge shortly after 7 a.m., reducing visibility almost to zero and drenching downtown. Another heavy round of showers struck shortly before noon, filling Broadway and spilling onto sidewalks east of Lorimier Street.

Shaun Weaver, of Chaffee, Mo., attempted to drive down through pooled water on Aquamsi Street near the Missouri Dry Dock when his car stalled. Weaver climbed onto the roof of his car before fire and police rescue workers threw him a line. He waded to higher ground through the knee-deep water.

Cape Girardeau police spokesman Jason Selzer said several city streets were temporarily closed with barricades due to floodwater that had not yet receded. Some motorists attempted to drive around the barricades and became stranded. No citations were issued, he said.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department responded to at least three weather-related accidents Thursday, including one involving four vehicles on Broadway at Sunset Boulevard. No serious injuries were reported, according to fire Capt. Brian Shaffer.

A handful of hydroplaning accidents were reported in Southeast Missouri, including two on Interstate 55 and one on Highway 25, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper said. No one was seriously injured.

Several road closures due to flooding were reported throughout the area, included Route A in Cape Girardeau County between Route U and Whitewater and Route H in Bollinger County near Zalma, Mo., according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

In Jackson City Park, Parkview Street was closed due to flooding and was likely to remain so until today, Jackson parks and recreation director Shane Anderson said.

Thursday's flooding was considered minor, something the park typically experiences about once a year, with water flowing over a softball field and tennis court, he said.

Flooding was not just limited to roadways and parks.

Birthright, 2633 Hopper Road in Cape Girardeau, experienced severe flooding in its basement, where diapers and clothing donated to mothers and children were stored. Several students from Notre Dame Regional High School came to help move the soggy items from the waterlogged basement, Birthright director Michele Moon said.

"It is a huge mess," she said.

Most of the material would be salvaged, she said, but some diapers had to be thrown out and clothing stored in sacks near the floor would have to be washed.

The Victory Outreach Church on Big Bend Boulevard at Sloan Creek in Cape Girardeau was surrounded by water when drainage culverts clogged, causing water to pool against the creek's levee. A debris-clogged drain also caused the lagoon at Capaha Park to spill over its banks in places.

City parks and recreation workers Randy Huebel and John Woodall worked in the rain, using a rake to repeatedly clear the drain so the lagoon could return to its normal pool. The drain clogs periodically in heavy rains, Woodall said, and workers have been forced to keep it open approximately a dozen times in the last 20 years.

About 12 homes in Olive Branch, Ill. reported severe wind damage, leading officials to believe a micro downburst may have occurred, according to Marty Nicholson, Alexander County Emergency Service and Disaster Agency coordinator.

The roof of one garage was ripped off, and a tree fell onto a trailer, she said. There were no injuries.

During a second bout of rain and wind Thursday night, tree limbs and power lines were knocked down, including one in Arena Park, according to a Cape Girardeau firefighter.

Downed power lines and poles contributed to leaving about 9,000 Southeast Missouri AmerenUE customers without electricity, according to utility spokeswoman Erica Abbett.

About 500 customers in the Cape Girardeau area lost power. The bulk of the customers without electricity were located farther south, including the Dexter, Mo., area which had more than 3,000 customers without power.

Restoring power to customers would take at least a day and could possibly extend into the weekend, Abbett said.

The National Weather Service predicted more rain late Thursday night, but not as much as the morning brought.

Since midnight Wednesday, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport recorded 3.58 inches of rain.

Southeast Missourian writer Rudi Keller contributed to this report.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

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