"Rough' weather should be going away this weekend

Garrett Mueller cuts away some of the smaller branches while working to remove a large maple tree that strong winds from Friday morning's storms felled in his back yard on Kolb Drive.
Garrett Mueller cuts away some of the smaller branches while working to remove a large maple tree that strong winds from Friday morning's storms felled in his back yard on Kolb Drive.

Cole County Emergency Management Director Bill Farr said, as of Friday evening, there were no plans to move or evacuate planes and equipment from the Jefferson City Memorial Airport, despite the Missouri River being well out of its banks.

"The prediction remains a 30-foot crest sometime Sunday," he said. "That's the top of the levee that protects the airport. But starting Saturday, we are looking at extended dry time and the forecast calls for the river to start falling Sunday night."

Meanwhile, the Moreau River is scheduled to go to nearly 26 feet by Saturday afternoon in Cole County, nine feet above flood stage.

But, Farr said the dry forecast starting this weekend will allow the river to rapidly drop back down below flood stage by Sunday afternoon.

Mid-Missouri experienced several periods of heavy rainfall throughout the day Friday, increasing the threat of flash flooding into early morning hours today.

As of Friday afternoon, six roads in Cole County were closed because of high water - all along the Moreau River.

They included Waterford Road, Meadows Ford Road, Murphy Ford Road, Campbell Road, Payne Road and North Branch Road.

Julie Phillipson, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in St. Charles, noted the Friday morning storms included "several reports of wind damage - generally, trees snapped and blown down, and shingles blown off some roofs.

That storm also included one-inch hail - and a power outage affecting numerous Ameren Missouri customers around the state, including the Missouri Highway Patrol's General Headquarters.

"The back-up generator is functioning as it is supposed to," Lt. John Hotz, a patrol spokesman, said in an e-mail. "The phones are working in some areas, but not in others.

"They are functioning as designed in rolling over to Troop F. So, in summary, all back-up systems are functioning as designed."

After the storms rolled through Mid-Missouri Friday, Friday night and early this morning, Phillipson said, "We could see some more severe weather (today), but it will, definitely, be tapered off by Sunday - and it will be much cooler."

Stormy weather isn't unusual for this time of year, she said, and people who think this spring has had more severe weather than usual likely have been influenced by the drought conditions of the past few years.

"Last year was very, very quiet in terms of severe weather across the area," Phillipson explained. "This weather system is very, very slow-moving system - that's why we're seeing several-day bouts with rounds of severe weather."

By Sunday afternoon, she said, it should be mostly sunny - and a high only around 70 degrees.

More rain - showers and thunderstorms - could arrive by mid-week, she said.

A two-vehicle crash in Jefferson City also was attributed to Friday's storms.

Police reports show at 8:50 a.m. in the 1600 block of Christy Drive, a trailer being pulled by a truck driven by James Ramsey, 60, Jefferson City, flipped onto its side and blocked the roadway.

The investigation determined Ramsey was going south on Christy when strong winds blew the trailer over and it struck a vehicle driven by Wilfred Plochberger, 64, Jefferson City, who was going north on Christy Drive.

No injuries were reported, but the street was closed for about an hour while the trailer was removed.

Additional Resources:

Mid-Missouri forecast and conditions

Mid-Missouri current radar

Mid-Missouri watches, warnings, advisories

Mid-Missouri river stages, forecasts

MoDOT Traveler Information map

Ameren power outage map

Three Rivers Electric Cooperatve

Co-Mo Electric Cooperative

Callaway Electric Cooperative

Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives