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Issue: 1089 Date: 7/7/2011
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Nixon: high flood waters to stick around for most of summer
Missouri National Guard preparing for state-wide Missouri River flooding
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| A map of the Missouri River. Flooding is expected at levee points across the state of Missouri over the next month. |
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(July 1, 2011) Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says high flood water on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers will be with us for most of the summer this year.
Nixon met with local officials in St. Charles and St. Louis Counties today.
Outside of the city of Chesterfield, Mo. Nixon stood on a levee that was reinforced after the Flood of 93.
Nixon says he doesn't expect the flooding to be as severe, but the Army National Guard is already standing by should if needed.
"Our hope and expectation is that this area will stay high and dry, but we want to continue to send a strong signal that our three goals are very clear," Nixon said. "We're going to protect lives, we're going to protect property, we're going to win flood fights where we can and we're going to be here afterwards to make sure it gets cleaned up."
Nixon is pledging an additional $100 million in state disaster aid to assist with rebuilding efforts from the Joplin tornado and continued flooding across the state.
The Missouri National Guard is now involved in flood preparations along the Missouri River, which is expected to overflow levees at points across the state for at least the next month.
The Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled a series of releases in South Dakota starting this week that will bring water flows into the Missouri River up to twice the amount of previous releases.
Coordinated with state and local emergency officials few days ago in St. Joseph, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said communication with local cities and residents will be key.
"I think it𠏋 important for folks to realize the size of water that𠏋 coming and the potential here," Nixon said. "But I think our task over the next six to eight weeks is to stay resolved, to win this flood fight where we are, we have no one that loses their life, that property is protected, that we have no injuries, and that the water that𠏋 here causes the least amount of challenges for folks. And getting this far out in front is I think an important step in that regard."
Sandbagging efforts along the Missouri have already started in the extreme northwest corner of the state, and counties around the Kansas City area have thousands of sandbags ready to be filled.
State emergency officials say all residents along the Missouri River to St. Charles county will be impacted during the next few weeks.
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| Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon with officers from the Missouri National Guard at the Howell Island Conservation Area outside Chesterfield, Mo. on July 1, 2011. |
St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley joined Mo. Gov. Jay Nixon on July 1, 2011 to inspect the Monarch Levee at the Missouri River in Chesterfield. |
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