Heavy floods wreak havoc in Barry County
Flood waters completely covered multiple roads and bridges in Cassville. Pictured above, 11th Street, just off of Main Street, is covered in water from the storms on Saturday and Sunday.
December 30, 2015
Charlea Mills
Yet another torrential downpour impacted Barry County in 2015. After July’s devastating flood, almost all of the repairs had been completed, and Saturday and Sunday brought rain of massive proportions to wreak havoc on the county once again.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency for Missouri residents because of the intense flooding. Barry County’s rainfall totals were between eight and ten inches for Saturday and Sunday. The massive amounts of rain caused expensive damages, and people had to be rescued and evacuated from their homes because of rising flood waters.
According to Cassville Police Chief Dana Kammerlohr, approximately 17 people had to be evacuated due to flooding. The two neighborhoods hit hardest were Meadowbrook Drive and Clover. Kammerlohr said, “We talked to a lot of people on Fair Street and a lot chose to leave on their own.” Areas hit in this storm were the same where problems arose during the July flood.
Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly said the Sheriff’s Department aided the Cassville City in their evacuations and rescues, but there were also people outside of the city who required help. A water boat from the Missouri State Highway Patrol was used to assist a rescue in the Pleasant Valley trailer park on Highway 37, as well as two people in McDowell by the Mill pond.
For people who did not have anywhere else to go, the Family Life Center acted as an evacuation point. Volunteers through First Baptist Church helped to keep the center running for people who needed a place to say. Kammerlohr confirmed that the Red Cross housed three families in motels due to the flooding.
The Cassville Police Department, Barry County Sheriff’s Department, Cassville Fire Department, Butterfield Fire Department, Exeter Fire Department, Seligman Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Cassville Public Works and CoxHealth Emergency Medical Services were all working collaboratively to assist people during evacuation.
Kammerlohr said, “In this area, agencies work so well together. And dispatch really deserves a pat on the back. They did a great job taking care of all of the calls during the storms.”
Epperly said, “Everyone worked really well together.”
No one was seriously injured or killed during the severe weather event. Epperly said, “It’s a good thing we didn’t have any drownings. We’re very lucky.”
Kammerlohr said, “Don’t drive around barriers. They are there for a reason. Roads are closed to protect people, and it’s putting their lives and emergency workers’ lives at risk.”
Epperly added, “It’s important to not be out driving just to look around. It puts them at risk and also makes for trouble for our emergency workers.”
According to Cassville Public Works Director Steve Walensky, the areas hit hardest were the same as July. The Mill Street bridge had asphalt wash away, as did much of the gravel on the Greenway Trail. Walensky said, “We didn’t lose dirt, so we are hoping to replace the gravel as much as we can.”
Walensky said they will also have to assess damage to the 7th Street bridge once the water recedes enough. He added, “The good news is that it wasn’t snow, which would have been catastrophic for us.”
Charlea Mills
Yet another torrential downpour impacted Barry County in 2015. After July’s devastating flood, almost all of the repairs had been completed, and Saturday and Sunday brought rain of massive proportions to wreak havoc on the county once again.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency for Missouri residents because of the intense flooding. Barry County’s rainfall totals were between eight and ten inches for Saturday and Sunday. The massive amounts of rain caused expensive damages, and people had to be rescued and evacuated from their homes because of rising flood waters.
According to Cassville Police Chief Dana Kammerlohr, approximately 17 people had to be evacuated due to flooding. The two neighborhoods hit hardest were Meadowbrook Drive and Clover. Kammerlohr said, “We talked to a lot of people on Fair Street and a lot chose to leave on their own.” Areas hit in this storm were the same where problems arose during the July flood.
Barry County Sheriff Mick Epperly said the Sheriff’s Department aided the Cassville City in their evacuations and rescues, but there were also people outside of the city who required help. A water boat from the Missouri State Highway Patrol was used to assist a rescue in the Pleasant Valley trailer park on Highway 37, as well as two people in McDowell by the Mill pond.
For people who did not have anywhere else to go, the Family Life Center acted as an evacuation point. Volunteers through First Baptist Church helped to keep the center running for people who needed a place to say. Kammerlohr confirmed that the Red Cross housed three families in motels due to the flooding.
The Cassville Police Department, Barry County Sheriff’s Department, Cassville Fire Department, Butterfield Fire Department, Exeter Fire Department, Seligman Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Cassville Public Works and CoxHealth Emergency Medical Services were all working collaboratively to assist people during evacuation.
Kammerlohr said, “In this area, agencies work so well together. And dispatch really deserves a pat on the back. They did a great job taking care of all of the calls during the storms.”
Epperly said, “Everyone worked really well together.”
No one was seriously injured or killed during the severe weather event. Epperly said, “It’s a good thing we didn’t have any drownings. We’re very lucky.”
Kammerlohr said, “Don’t drive around barriers. They are there for a reason. Roads are closed to protect people, and it’s putting their lives and emergency workers’ lives at risk.”
Epperly added, “It’s important to not be out driving just to look around. It puts them at risk and also makes for trouble for our emergency workers.”
According to Cassville Public Works Director Steve Walensky, the areas hit hardest were the same as July. The Mill Street bridge had asphalt wash away, as did much of the gravel on the Greenway Trail. Walensky said, “We didn’t lose dirt, so we are hoping to replace the gravel as much as we can.”
Walensky said they will also have to assess damage to the 7th Street bridge once the water recedes enough. He added, “The good news is that it wasn’t snow, which would have been catastrophic for us.”
