By JOE BARRETT
Police in Poplar Bluff, Mo., ordered the evacuation of some 1,000 residents amid concerns the town levee could breach at any time.
On Monday, water from the rain-swollen Black River was already pouring over the top of the levee, threatening about 500 homes in the town of 17,000 people about 150 miles southwest of St. Louis.
"Once it tops it and flows over it, all indications are that it could breach imminently," said Deputy Chief Jeff Rolland. The same levee breached in 2008, flooding the same neighborhood, he said.
The river has been rising for the past week amid day after day of heavy rains. Three to five inches of rain were expected Monday evening, with three inches forecast for Tuesday.
"We need a break from Mother Nature," Mr. Rolland said.
Many residents were packed into the town convention center, while others moved in with friends or family. Police went door to door during the day Monday to order the evacuation, but some people stayed behind. "There are always stragglers," Mr. Rolland said.
Write to Joe Barrett at joseph.barrett@wsj.com
No comments:
Post a Comment