Storm damage worse south of Cape Girardeau

The second half of a two day winter storm left rural counties to the south of Cape Girardeau almost completely without power as a result of fallen power lines, forcing people to leave their homes and seek help in the warming centers established in the region, emergency operations directors said.

In Scott County, most of the city of Sikeston is without power, and the remainder of the county suffered extensive power outages, said county emergency operations center director Joel Evans.

Shelters were set up at Miner Baptist Church, the Sikeston field house, Chaffee Nutrition Center, VFW hall in Scott City, and First Baptist Church in Sikeston, and those in Sikeston, Miner, and Chaffee saw heavy use Tuesday night, Evans said.

He estimated between 100 and 150 Scott County residents sought refuge in shelters overnight, he said.

Scott County is currently using two mass care trailers, equipped with 150 cots and supplies, one of them borrowed from Cape Girardeau County.

Perry County's mass care trailer is available for use also should Sikeston need another, said Perry County emregency operations center director Jack Lakenan.

Cape Girardeau County emergency director Dick Knaup delivered the trailer to Sikeston during the night on Tuesday, and said as he approached Sikeston "the entire city was dark."

Fallen trees, power lines, and stalled vehicles have blocked roads throughout Scott County, and while Interstate 55 has opened up, there are multiple vehicles stuck in the snow and ice near the Benton exit at the 84 mile marker, Evans said.

The Scott County Highway Department began its assessment of county roads around 7 a.m. Wednesday, he said.

Route M is closed through Scott City due to fallen lines, according to Scott City police.

Portions of U.S. 61 were closed near Benton for awhile due to fallen trees and power lines, and crews worked throughout the morning to keep them open, only to have more obstructions occur, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Department.

About 90 to 95 percent of Stoddard County homes and businesses are also without power, and word from the electric companies is it could be up to a week before it is restored, Stoddard County emergency director John Prance said.

"This is the worst we've ever seen," Prance said.

Shelters have opened at the old junior high school gym in Dexter, Bloomfield's farm bureau, recently purchased by the city, and within several hours, the county hopes to have established a shelter in Advance or Puxico.

"It looks like a war zone down here," Prance said.

Stoddard County's power is split between three electric companies - Ozark Border Electric Cooperative, SEMO Electric Cooperative and AmerenUE.

The southern counties got hit the hardest because their precipitation turned to ice overnight instead of snow.

"Up here, we've got white, down there, they've got crystal," Knaup said of the difference between Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties.

Cape Girardeau County suffered sporadic power outages, and Delta sustained significant power loss during the night, but neighbors that had power pitched in and took others in, making the situation manageable, Knaup said.

Cape Girardeau city has established two warming centers, one at the Salvation Army located at 701 Good Hope, as well as the Osage Community Center, located at 1625 North Kingshighway.

The biggest problem Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, and Perry counties are experiencing besides snow covered roads is trouble with emergency vehicles getting around to their calls.

In Cape Girardeau County, two or three fire trucks got stuck attempting to get to vehicle fires, Knaup said.

"Everything's at a standstill," Lakenan said.

Although neither Perry County nor Bollinger County have suffered any power outages, the storm dumped another 5 or 6 inches of fresh snow on top of the several inches of sleet they'd accumulated, making roads nearly impassable.

"So far we've pretty well maintained our own," said Jim Bollinger, emergency director for Bollinger County.

"There's hardly any ice."

Bollinger said the biggest problem he anticipates will be clearing roads enough so emergency vehicles can get through to respond to medical calls.

Emergency directors will participate in a conference call with State of Missouri Emergency Management Agency at 9 a.m. Wednesday to discuss what each county needs in the way of relief, including getting food and supplies to warming centers.