The Meramec River is expected to hit major flooding levels Friday.
Pacific, Valley Park and Eureka are preparing for high waters through the weekend. This comes after historic rainfall earlier this week caused flash flooding that killed two people in south St. Louis County.
City officials in Pacific encouraged residents to evacuate their homes and businesses and to take precautions as water levels continue to rise.
“What I'm most worried about is those residents who are choosing to stay, that if they have a medical emergency, the response time to get to them is going to be longer than what it normally is,” Pacific Mayor Heather Filley said.
The NOAA National Water Prediction Service is forecasting the Meramec River to rise to 26.2 feet in Pacific and 34.80 feet in Eureka by Friday night.
St. Louis County on Thursday declared a state of emergency, which will allow the county to request state and federal resources and funds to assist with storm response. Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday also declared a state of emergency.
Pat Dubuque, a longtime Pacific resident, spent the week filling sandbags and helping neighbors and small businesses pack up their belongings. Dubuque has been through several floods, including a devastating flood in 2015.
“This community pulls together,” Dubuque said. “There's not really many people that don't open up their doors or say, ‘Hey, I'm going to bring over some water, or I'm going to bring some hot coffee to you guys. You're working so hard over there.’”
The Missouri Department of Transportation closed several roads, including Route 141 under Interstate 44 in Valley Park. That road went underwater Thursday morning, and the closure is expected to remain throughout the weekend, said Bob Becker, a maintenance engineer for MoDOT’s St. Louis district.
“We don't want people to get themselves in a situation where they can get hurt. So if we have something barricaded off, we ask you to respect that and keep yourself safe,” Becker said.
Meramec Valley R-III School District canceled classes Thursday and Friday due to flooding. The county also closed several parks including Lone Elk, Tilles, Unger and Buder parks.
The World Bird Sanctuary also closed its doors Friday and Saturday.
“All birds and staff are currently safe and emergency plans are in place to care for our animals while the site is inaccessible and should our site experience flooding beyond just the road,” sanctuary staff members wrote on social media.
Eureka Fire Protection District officials said they are monitoring river conditions and expect water levels to start receding Saturday morning. Homes with water must be inspected before people can return.
In Pacific, people can go to the Tri-County Community Senior Center at 800 W. Union St. and Mission Community Church at 2001 W. Osage St. to take shelter from floods.
