This week, residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area have been doused with several waves of heavy rainfall, resulting in flooding across the region.
South of St. Louis, Arnold, Fenton, Eureka and Pacific have been particularly hard hit. Similar areas were flooded in December of 2015.
While the Meramec River, which was responsibile for the flooding in that area has crested and is receding, the Missouri River at St. Charles is cresting today and the Mississippi River from Alton down will be cresting from today through tomorrow.
"We're within a foot of crest, so it looks like the worst is over," said Jim Sieveking, a guest on the program and science operations officer for the National Weather Service. "This is a different type of event from 1993. It is a short event where you get a lot of rainfall in a short amount of time and that causes the rivers, especially the small ones like the Meramec, to rise quickly. It just so happened it happened twice over the past 17 months."
On Friday’s Behind the Headlines, we took a look at the flood damage, recovery efforts and plans for the area going forward with reporters who’ve been following the story, a hydrologist and a realtor in the Eureka area.
Joining the program:
- Eli Chen, Science and Environment Reporter, St. Louis Public Radio
- Stephanie Lecci, Senior Producer, St. Louis Public Radio
- Jim Sieveking, Science Operations Officer and Acting Meteorologist, National Weather Service
- Josh Kahn, co-owner, Josh Kahn and Katie Busk Realty Team
Listen to the discussion about what comes next for St. Louis residents impacted by flooding and the levees in the region:
St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Kelly Moffitt give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.