By Bill Raack & Tom Weber, KWMU / AP
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwmu/local-kwmu-586526.mp3
St. Louis, MO – After violent storms this weekend forced people to be evacuated across the central Plains, people in Missouri are now being evacuated because of flooding. And, forecasters are predicting some of the worst flooding along the Missouri River since the 1993 floods.
Heavy rain storms across the Plains states over the past week, which followed a particularly wet winter, have prompted flood warnings from St. Joseph to St. Louis. Jim Kramper, with the National Weather Service in St. Louis, says the Missouri will rise well beyond flood stage later this week.
"We're not looking for record levels or anything like that but it's getting close enough that it's definitely a concern," Kramper said Monday. "For example, at Jefferson City right now we're looking for it to reach at least 34 feet by Saturday and that's within four feet of the record.
"So that's a pretty significant event."
Kramper says the Missouri River could reach almost 12 feet over flood stage at St. Charles by Monday night, which would impact roads, riverfront businesses and the levee at the Highway 370 bridge.
Flood warnings have been posted along the Missouri from St. Joseph in the northwest corner of the state, all the way to St. Louis.
St. Louis is not anticipating damage at this point, but officials still plan to close the city's flood gates for the first time in about five years.
Gov. Matt Blunt has already declared a state of emergency and authorized National Guard troops to be deployed.
Hundreds of people in Kansas and Iowa have been forced to evacuate. And rain has closed streets and highways across Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma.