Flood in Butler County, Missouri

Historic flooding struck much of Butler County. At least 1,000 people in the county were displaced from their homes by flooding. U.S. Coast Guard boats and helicopters from as far away as New Orleans assisted in evacuation efforts. The helicopters airlifted 37 people and six dogs to safety. Several of those evacuated were from Coon Island. In northwest parts of the county, an elderly couple along JJ Highway were stranded on the roof of their home. An industrial park was inaccessible due to flooding of Pike Creek. Numerous evacuations were conducted by law enforcement and fire personnel. Broken levees along the Black River and other rivers inundated large parts of the county. Several families in Qulin were forced from their homes, although it was not immediately clear which river or creek was causing the flooding. Long-time local residents had never witnessed such an event. Shelters were established at the Black River coliseum, a church, and a family center. About 70 percent of the roads in the county were impassable at one point. Countywide, at least 142 homes were damaged, and 26 were destroyed.

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.