Corps of Engineers prepares for rising river levels

Published June 18, 2015

St. Louis – As rain continues to fall throughout the region, St. Louis District Commander Col. Anthony Mitchell activated the Emergency Operations Center today at 7 a.m. to increase awareness and be better prepared for forecasted precipitation and river stages.

“Activating the Emergency Operations Center enables us to respond to high water events better and allows our team of experts to get out in the field to support our partners,” Mitchell said.

Corps personnel on flood fight teams have contacted drainage and levee districts to coordinate flood fighting activities and ensure supplies such as sand bags, pumps and plastic sheeting are available if needed.  Flood fight teams are interdisciplinary teams comprised of project managers and engineers.  The size of the team will vary, depending on the river conditions and how large their area is.

“We have been in contact with our levee districts to monitor the levees, discuss any issues or concerns regarding the forecasted river heights, and offer technical assistance,” Mitchell added.

The St. Louis District conducts annual flood preparedness workshops with levee district officials, emergency management officials and other state and federal agencies. Four such workshops were held in February and March across the St. Louis District.

St. Louis District emergency experts caution people who live along or travel near rivers to be watchful for any changing conditions.  Heavy localized downpours can quickly result in flash flooding or other rapid rises in water levels. In addition, use extreme care when driving and never drive into water since it may turn out to be deeper or faster-flowing than expected. An apparently small amount of water can have surprising force. Find an alternate route.

For more information please visit the St. Louis District Flood Web site at http://bit.ly/2015FloodFight

For the latest river and reservoir forecasts, visit http://bit.ly/stlwaterlevels.


Contact
Michael Petersen
314-331-8002
michael.w.petersen@usace.army.mil

Release no. 15-032