Flooding in southeastern Missouri has had little effect on MU’s Extension Campuses but has caused widespread damage nonetheless.
Mississippi County Extension agronomist Anthony Ohmes said there is flooding in many parts of the Bootheel.
“Here in Mississippi County, we’re definitely wet,” Ohmes said. “As far as ditches and trying to get water to drain, the water table is high because the river is high.”
Backyards are full of water, particularly in the southernmost counties of the state where water drains typically. Drainage ditches are full, so the water remains in the area with nowhere to go.
The MU Extension Campus office for Mississippi County has suffered no physical damage from the flooding, as it is located in the northern end of the county.
As an agronomist for the Extension Campus, Ohmes works primarily with area farmers, expanding MU’s agricultural research programs. He said that from that standpoint, there is currently a lot of environmental stress for crops in the area.
“As much rain as we’ve had this year, there are not a whole lot of things planted,” Ohmes said. “There’s a little bit of corn planted, and it’s being affected by the amount of rainfall. Our wheat is definitely suffering.”
Mississippi River Commission Maj. Gen. Michael Walsh authorized the opening of a floodway in Mississippi County to direct water away from an Illinois town at risk of flooding, according to a news release around 5 p.m. Monday.
The Army Corps of Engineers will open the Birds Point New Madrid Floodway to direct water into Mississippi County farmlands and away from the town of Cairo, Ill. This act could render thousands of acres of farmland unusable.
Residents of the area have been evacuated for the time being. Ohmes said these people will benefit most from flood recovery information in the case that the levee is breached.
“If the citizens here in Mississippi County need our help, we’ll provide whatever assistance we can, primarily in the form of how we can educate and help with the flood recovery,” Ohmes said.
Community emergency management specialist Frank Wideman provided cleanup information to those affected by the floods on the MU Extension website.
Ohmes said the river has crested to 63 feet in Cairo, Ill., a record level for the town. Cairo’s current floodwall can handle only 64 feet of water.
Ohmes said several smaller rivers have overflowed their banks, including the Little River, a tributary of the St. Francis River. The water in the Poplar Bluff area cuts off several roads, as well.
Ohmes said it is hard to determine right now how long it will take for the floodwaters to recede. A major factor will be the kind of weather the area sees over the coming weeks.
“There have been some devastating floods in different parts of the Bootheel,” Ohmes said. “That’s definitely going to take time to recover.”