Flood — Wayne, Missouri

2008-03-18 to 2008-03-21 · near Piedmont, Wayne, Missouri

Event narrative

The hardest hit community during this historic flood was Piedmont. Between 200 and 300 homes and businesses were flooded in the town of about 2,000 residents. Severe flash flooding of McKenzie Creek inundated over one-third of the town. All buildings in southern Piedmont were flooded, along with homes within two blocks on either side of Main Street. All major roads were closed leading into Piedmont. A mandatory evacuation order was issued for the entire town of Piedmont. Three law enforcement agencies rushed boats into the area to help with evacuations. Hundreds of people were evacuated, including some by boat. Shelters were opened at a church and a school for evacuees. Vehicles and propane tanks were among the items that littered roads after the floodwaters receded. The force of the floodwaters broke windows and even tore bricks off one building. A major water line was washed out, leaving Piedmont without water. Schools closed early, but students were held at the schools due to major flood hazards. Across the county, U.S. Highway 67 from Route 34 to Greenville was among five flooded sections of state highways that were closed. The county sheriff department received hundreds of calls from people stranded in vehicles and homes. Local residents characterized the flooding as the worst in their memory. At the height of the flooding, road transportation across the county was difficult or impossible. Two schools were cut off by floodwaters while school was in session. Two bridges were closed due to washouts. A section of railroad track was washed out. Phone service and water service was disrupted in parts of the county. Severe flooding inundated a subdivision five miles south of Piedmont along the Black River, where water reached the eaves of several homes. About 30 people were rescued by boat from that subdivision, and several of those were rescued from trees after a boat sank. The town of Williamsville was partially evacuated in an area close to Williams Creek.

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 → (37.2134, -90.7200)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 84977. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.