April 5, 2019
Spring flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers prompted Governor Mike Parson to declare a state of emergency on March 21. The executive order allows state agencies to coordinate directly with local jurisdictions with assistance.
Across Missouri, 54 roads are closed due to flooding, down from a peak of 86. MoDOT is urging everyone to closely monitor conditions in their area, heed all evacuation notices and never remove or drive around barricades.
Among the roads impacted by the flooding:
- Interstate 29 is closed at the Missouri/Iowa border near the U.S. 71 intersection, north of St. Joseph.
- US. 61/MO 136 is closed between Alexandria, MO and Keokuk, IA
- All Missouri River Crossings are closed between St. Joseph and Omaha.
MoDOT continues to work with Nebraska and Iowa to provide alternate routes while major roads are closed to prevent any traffic from bottlenecking around the closures and keep our customers safe and informed.
Because of flooding and rail congestion, Amtrak suspended service on the River Runner (the Kansas City to St. Louis line) from March 25-31. Passenger service was moved to buses. Train service was tentatively scheduled to resume on April 1.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has exempted truck drivers involved in flood relief efforts from certain regulations, including hours of service. Also, MoDOT will allow heavier-than-normal truckloads of rock, sand and gravel on Missouri highways.
According to the National Weather Service, the threat of long-term flooding is the worst since 1993. Because of additional snow up north and the saturated ground, flooding could last for several months.