ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District is responding to flooding on the Mississippi River by activating its Emergency Operations Center in St. Louis and closing locks on the Mississippi River.
With high water forecasted over the next week on the Upper Mississippi River, the Corps will activate its EOC in St. Louis this weekend. This enables the Corps to provide teams and resources to support local flood fighting efforts. Corps personnel have contacted affected levee districts to coordinate flood fighting activities and ensure supplies such as sandbags, pumps and plastic are available if needed.
Barge traffic on the river will also be impacted by high water as Lock and Dam 24 in Clarksville, Mo., will close to navigation Friday. Lock closures are essential to protect critical components and facilities from flood waters and be able to restore services as quickly and economically as possible after water levels recede.
Based on the most recent forecasts from the National Weather Service, Mel Price Locks and Dam in Alton, Ill., and Locks 27 in Granite City, Ill., are not currently anticipating closures.
For the latest river and reservoir forecasts, visit http://bit.ly/stlwaterlevels.
Release no. 14-050