March 2008 Midwest floods

Infobox flood
image location = Rain031908b.gif


name = March 2008 Midwest floods
duration = March 17 – ongoing
total damages (USD) = Unknown
total fatalities = 17
areas affected = Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Wisconsin and TennesseeThe March 2008 Midwest floods were a massive flooding event in the Southern Midwest and portions of the Southern Plains. Cape Girardeau, Missouri officially reported convert|11.48|in|cm on March 18 and 19.cite web
title = Historical data
publisher = National Weather Service
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=pah&storyid=13741&source=0
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-03-19] At least 17 people died as a result of the flooding.cite news
last = AP writers
title = 17 deaths linked to severe weather
language = English
publisher = ABC news
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=4499930
accessdate = 2008-03-19] Levee breaks were observed in several areas, most notably in Southeastern Missouri, where levee breaks were still occurring in mid-April.cite web
title = Summary of March 18-19 flood event
publisher = National Weather Service forecast office Paducah, Kentucky
date = 2008-03-21
url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=pah&storyid=13796&source=0
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-13] cite news
title = Temporary Levee Breaks Near Poplar Bluff - Shelter now Open
language = English
publisher = KFVS12.com
date = 2008-04-12
url = http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=8156830
accessdate = 2008-04-13]

Meteorological synopsis

The National Weather Service posted flood watches stretching from Dallas, Texas to Scranton, Pennsylvania starting March 16. Two strong low pressure centers developed along a stationary front that stretched along this line. One was located in Southern Illinois, and the other was located near San Antonio, Texas. The northern low, combined with strong upper level winds, dragged large amounts moisture north from the Gulf of Mexico. The southern low produced severe weather and heavy rain on its north side. At one point, the national weather radar composite showed a large shield of heavy rain streching from Texas to northern Indiana.cite web
last = Corfidi
title = Tornado Watch 132
publisher = Storm Prediction Center
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/ww0132.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-16] River flooding continued, causing additional problems in areas where flash flooding from the heavy rains struck.cite web
last = AP writers
title = Eastern Arkansas braces for predicted historic flooding
publisher = CNN.com
date = 2008-03-24
url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/weather/03/23/severe.weather.ap/index.html
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-03-24] Numerous locations in Arkansas have reported record rainfall totals in the month of March into early April.cite web
title = More info on the record rains in March and early April
publisher = National Weather Service forecast office Little Rock, Arkansas
date = 2008-04-12
url = http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/pns041208txt.htm
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-15]

River flooding

River flooding continued through the month and into early April. Several river gauges throughout the midwest and southeast were in major flood stage.cite web
title = Heavy Rain/Severe Weather on March 17-19, 2008
publisher = National Weather Service forecast office Little Rock, Arkansas
date = 2008-03-28
url = http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/rain0308b.htm
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-03-29] Some of the worst river flooding of the event occurred in the western suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri along the Meramec River. 451 homes were damaged in the western suburbs.cite news
last = Ratcliffe, Heather - Hampel, Paul - O'Neil, Tim
title = Cleaning up, gauging damage from flooding
language = English
publisher = STLtoday.com
date = 2008-03-25
url = http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/D26699DF5CBED53E86257417000F1F9D?OpenDocument
accessdate = 2008-04-13] River flooding streched from Wisconsin to Louisiana by mid-April; some of the flooding to the north was caused by ice jams after record snowfall. [cite web
title = Flooding along the Rock and Bark Rivers
publisher = National Weather Forecast office, Milwaukee/Sullivan, Wisconsin
date = 2008-04-14
url = http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=mkx&storyid=14107&source=0
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-15]

Impact

Currently, the death toll associated with the flooding stands at 17.Five deaths occurred in Missouri. Others were killed in a highway wreck due to heavy rain in Kentucky, and a 65-year-old woman in Ohio appeared to have drowned while checking on a sump pump in her home. In southern Illinois, two bodies were found hours after floodwaters swept a pickup truck off a road. Also, in Missouri, the body of a 19-year-old man was found, about 2 miles downstream from where he was reported swept into a creek the previous evening.cite news
last = AP writers
title = 13 deaths linked to severe weather
language = English
publisher = CNN.com
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/19/severe.weather.ap/index.html
accessdate = 2008-03-19] The flooding closed a number of roads in Missouri around the Meramec River, and threatened to force the closure of Interstate 44 at Valley Park. Unlike the Great Flood of 1993, which affected this same region, the majority of homes and businesses in Valley Park were this time protected from the flooding by a new levee built in 2005.cite web
last = Tuft, Carolyn - O'Neil, Tim
title = Rivers recede, road crews reopen Highway 141
publisher = STLtoday.com
date = 2008-03-24
url = http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/commutingtraffic/story/68F9400060F4C0F0862574160013838E?OpenDocument
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-13 ] In Kentucky, the flooding resulted in scattered road closures and flooded basements. In Covington, city crews used sump pumps to keep high water off the streets. High water from Banklick Creek also forced Kenton County's Pioneer Park to remain closed.cite web
last = Kettler
first = Shannon
coauthors = Noll, Jessica
title = Flooding Problems In N.Ky.
publisher = wcpo.com
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=08f142c7-b399-46f8-9c07-ae649ced9d30
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-13] Emergency managers in Posey County, Indiana declared a state of emergency, Vanderburgh County, Indiana and the city of Evansville were also under states of emergency for a short time. cite press release
title = Vanderbugh County State of Emergency
publisher = Vanderburgh County Emergency Management Agency via WEHT
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://www.news25.us/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=5790&RequestTimeout=500
accessdate = 2008-04-13] cite press release
title = Poesy County State of Emergency
publisher = Poesy County Emergency Management Agency via WEHT
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://www.news25.us/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=5790&RequestTimeout=500
accessdate = 2008-04-13] Also, schools in Henderson County and Union County were closed due to the flooding, and U.S. 60 at the line between the two counties was shut down because of landslides.cite web
last = Geist
first = Kelly
title = River Hits Crest
publisher = Kentucky Post
date = 2008-03-19
url = http://www.kypost.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=3ec59498-f6c1-4628-84bb-6bfb7c12344c
format = HTML
accessdate = 2008-04-15] Numerous roads were closed because of flooding in the Louisville, Kentucky area including Old Vincennes Road at Buttontown Road and Clover Creek, Hamby Road and Borden Road at U.S. 150.cite news
last = Cunningham
first = Sarah
coauthors = Adams, Harold
title = Rain pours over Louisville, raising worries over floods
language = English
publisher = Louisville Courier-Journal
date = 2008-03-18
url = http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080318/NEWS01/303180020/1008/NEWS01
accessdate = 2008-04-15]

Illinois Denied FEMA Assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied flood recovery grants and loans to Illinois. 15 counties in southern Illinois applied for the assistance. The state saw 39 homes destroyed, 150 others had major damage and 145 businesses were flooded. Out of those 145 businesses that needed repairs after the floods, 74 of them are were in Harrisburg, Illinois. [ [http://www.wsiltv.com/p/news_details.php?newsID=4740&type=top WSIL TV • Southern Illinois Denied Help From FEMA ] ]

ee also

*Winter storms of 2007-08
*June 2008 Midwest floods

References

External links

* [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=pah&storyid=13796&source=0 National Weather Service Paducah, Kentucky summary page]


* [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/rain0308b.htm National Weather Service Little Rock, Arkansas summary page]


* [http://www.crh.noaa.gov/sgf/?n=march182008flood National Weather Service Springfield, Missouri summary page]