Flood — Bollinger, Missouri

2008-03-18 to 2008-03-21 · near Patton, Bollinger, Missouri

Event narrative

Historic flooding occurred after 12 to 14 inches of rain fell in 48 hours. One man was killed in Marble Hill when his pickup truck was swept off a highway into Crooked Creek. Most of the major highways in the county were closed for at least part of the day. Evacuations were conducted in some places, especially in Glenallen. About 23 people were rescued from a subdivision near Zalma due to flooding of the Castor River. Evacuation shelters were opened. Numerous water rescues were conducted around the county. Marble Hill was described as cut in half by severe flooding of Crooked Creek, which rose 8 to 10 feet above a major state highway into town. Much of Marble Hill was inundated. Schools were closed, businesses shut down, and campgrounds were evacuated. Many gravel roads were washed out, and many small bridges were destroyed. Initial estimates were that 75 percent of the county's roads were damaged. The emergency management director for the county reported 14 businesses and 15 homes in Marble Hill suffered severe damage. Fifteen homes in Glenallen and 30 homes in Zalma were severely damaged. A school and other public buildings were extensively damaged. A mobile home was washed away and smashed into trees.

Wider weather episode

Torrential rainfall amounts from 6 to 12 inches occurred over a two-day period, causing an historic flood event. A very slow-moving cold front over southwest Illinois and southeast Missouri provided the focus for prolonged heavy rainfall. A deep southwest wind flow brought subtropical moisture across the frontal zone. Two-day rainfall amounts included 13.05 inches at Cape Girardeau and 12.50 inches at Marble Hill (Bollinger County). The highest amounts were just over a foot from Cape Girardeau westward across the hilly terrain of Bollinger and Wayne Counties. At the Poplar Bluff airport, the two-day total was 7.11 inches. Other two-day totals included: 12.52 at the Cape Girardeau airport, 12.08 at Jackson, and 6.30 at Perryville. The rainfall at Cape Girardeau was the greatest single-day rainfall total on record. It contributed to the all-time wettest month at Cape Girardeau. The lowest amounts were near the Missouri Bootheel (in and near New Madrid), where around 4 inches fell. The Missouri National Guard was activated to assist with emergency operations in the hardest hit counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (37.5000, -90.0200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 84956. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.