JEFFERSON CITY, MO -- Update: April 28 at 10:45 a.m.:
The rain is over, at least for a couple of days, and the Black River is starting to recede at Poplar Bluff, Mo. As a result, some 1,000 evacuees may soon be allowed to go home.
The National Weather Service said Thursday that after a crest of 21.4 feet on Tuesday, the Black River at Poplar Bluff was down to 19.6 feet. City police officer James Sisk says emergency officials were meeting Thursday morning to decide if people evacuated on Monday will be allowed to go home.
Some will find a mess. The levee that protects a low-lying area of Poplar Bluff and Butler County was overtopped in more than 30 places, and breached in a couple more. Officials don't yet know how many homes sustained water damage. Well over 100 water rescues were reported.
Update: Wednesday, April 27 at 11:15 a.m.:
The Army Corps of Engineers says it will wait until this weekend to decide whether to intentionally break a southeastern Missouri levee along the Mississippi River.
The Corps has said it may have to blow holes in the Birds Point levee to ease rising waters near the Illinois town of Cairo, which sits near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Missouri has sued to block the effort because it would swamp farmland. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
But Corps spokesman Bob Anderson tells The Associated Press that even if a judge gives the go-ahead, the agency will wait until it gets a better forecast of the river crests to see if the breach is necessary. That decision isn't likely to come until at least this weekend.
Update: Tuesday, April 26 at 12:45 p.m.:
Attorney General Chris Koster and a state agency are suing to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from destroying a levee in the Bootheel.
Koster says in a news release that he and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday asking a judge to stop the corps from intentionally breaching the levee at Birds Point in Mississippi County.
The corps says the destruction would alleviate potential downstream flooding on the Mississippi River. The decision on whether to detonate the levee is expected Tuesday afternoon.
Koster says it would cause flooding of up to 130,000 acres of land. Gov. Jay Nixon is also opposed to the corps' plans.
Update: Tuesday April 26 at 10:05 a.m.:
A levee protecting a southeast Missouri town from major flooding has breached and authorities are now planning to evacuate residents from more homes in the area. That's according to a police officer in the area.
Poplar Bluff police Officer Daron House said Tuesday morning that water is pouring through a crack in the levee on a road southeast of Poplar Bluff and that crews are looking into a report of a possible second breach.
He says water from the breach is pouring into a drainage ditch but that officials are concerned it could flood a wider area.
He says officials are planning to evacuate more homes. About 1,000 homes were evacuated Monday and some have been flooded by water from the Black River that has poured over the levee in about 30 locations.
Update: Tuesday April 26 at 8:20 a.m.:
The Missouri National Guard is sending soldiers based in Jefferson City and Columbia are heading out to help communities around the state that are in danger from flooding.
Members of the 175th Military Police Battalion from Columbia will travel to Poplar Bluff, where some of the town's levees along the Black River are in danger of failing.
A shelter in the city has been set up at the Black River Coliseum, where residents are gathering, bringing their belongings in paper sacks.
Lakes and Rivers across the southern half of the state are on the rise, causing flooding.
In Branson, the rise of flood waters along tributaries to Table Rock and Beaver Lakes prompted the opening of dam floodgates at both lakes. Some homes downstream from Table Rock have been evacuated and homeowners should be aware of quickly changing water levels.
Many streets and areas inside of Branson's city limits have also been evacuated and put in a state of warning for the time being.
At the Branson Landing, a shopping district on Lake Taneycomo, water is now over the boardwalk and power has been cut to the parking structures. Propane was also turned off on the lower levels of the landing.
Update: April 25 at 1:15 p.m.:
Residents in parts of Missouri are being evacuated as the rivers and lakes continue to rise on the heels of several inches of rain in a short period of time.
Governor Jay Nixon has activated the Missouri National Guard to help communities threatened by the flooding.
Nixon said Monday that some of the Guard members will aid local emergency responders in the Poplar Bluff area who are dealing with the potential failure of levees. Guard members also will be available to help other communities.
Residents near Branson who live around Lake Taneycomo were evacuated as a precaution. Officials were concerned over rising lake waters.
A shelter is being set up in Cape Girardeau because several nearby communities are experiencing flooding.
Red Cross spokeswoman Sara Gerau (jehr-oh) says the charity has been receiving calls for help from communities including Commerce and Delta. One family from Commerce reported that floodwaters were lapping at their door.
She says the charity is helping set up the shelter in a Red Cross facility.
Gerau says the water is rising quickly. She is warning people to get their medication and belongings together so they will be prepared to evacuate quickly if the need arises.
The Red Cross is also helping to operate a shelter in Poplar Bluff and trying to decide whether to keep a West Plains shelter open.
It is welcoming donations of toiletries and cash.
Original Story:
Flood warnings continue throughout much of central and eastern Missouri, and the National Weather Service warns that more heavy rain could bring flash flooding, too.
Parts of eastern Missouri south of St. Louis could get up to 9 additional inches of rain through Wednesday.
Rivers and creeks are already flooding. The Mississippi is at or approaching major flood stage in several communities. The Missouri River is also flooding, and many tributaries are rising.
Among the hardest hit areas so far is St. Francois County, about 70 miles southwest of St. Louis. Farmington fire crews had to rescue several people from homes and cars over the past few days due to flash flooding. High water damaged a couple of apartment complexes, forcing residents to temporarily relocate.
KRCG spoke the National Weather Service Sunday afternoon. Meteorologist Ben Miller said most locations upstream from Jefferson City most likely wouldn't see any flooding unless more rain fell in those areas. However, points east of Jefferson City could see light to moderate flooding because of heavier rain.
The Associated Press Contributed to this article.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKRCG