In my thoughts MO flood victims

**txramsfan** · #1 (**permalink**) -20-03-2008

Just saw the devastating pictures on Foxnews.com about the floods going on in my hometown of Poplar Bluff, MO where my mom still lives, and what appears to be most of Missouri and hope that the water subsides soon and people who are affected by this weather tragedy can begin piecing their lives back together.

*chipperjones* · #2 (**permalink**) -20-03-2008

Yeah me two. I can say im a survivor. We were on the edge of the flood/good amount of rainfall. I didnt think we got that much (I knew it was a lot, I just didnt think it would do damage)...I woke up and drove by my buddies house only to find his house had been flooded. So yesterday and today I had been helping him instead of going to work, so this how im spending two (maybe 3) of my seven vacation days. He's a good friend so I felt obligated.

**RamsFanSam** · #3 (**permalink**) -20-03-2008

Here in Springfield, we had 'officially' around 6". I'm a few miles from the airport, and I estimate around 7 at my house.

Tawn went to work Tuesday a little after noon, and before she left she checked the basement. She said it was dry. Four hours later, I came home to find about 6" of fast rising water, and a fountain about a foot high coming from the floor drain. I went back to work and got the 5.5 HP gas powered pump, brought it home (the water had risen about 6" more in 15 minutes), and fired it up. Mind you, this pump moves 15,800 gallons of water per hour at 10' of head. I ran that pump from 5 PM until 5:30 AM...12-1/2 hours, running full speed. It barely kept up. Being conservative on the estimate, I figure around 175,000 gallons of water was pumped out. It never got higher than about 12", and once I fired up the pump it stayed at 3" or less. My neighbors behind me with basements had anywhere from 4 to 7 FEET of water. Their houses are at the same level as mine, on the same sewer line as mine, so I know the only reason we didn't have that much water was due to me running that pump all night. The creek south of my house went about 10' higher than normal.

Springfield was lucky...about 35 or 40 miles south of here is a town called Galena. I hear that the water got so deep that the James River was somewhere about 25 feet above flood stage...and one of the only 2 ways into town was flooded. RV's and mobile homes washed down from around Hootentown and will probably end up at the bottom of Tablerock Lake.

Interstate 44 had a section closed, as did highway 60.

Of course, there were people driving into the water, thinking they could make it across. Most of them were saved, but I do know that around here, 2 or possibly 3 people died due to the flood.

It could have been MUCH worse. I was thankful that the temperature was warm. Imagine how bad it would have been if this was another ice storm.