Jefferson County - East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

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Jefferson County – Section 2
hardships. By the year’s end, nearly every county in Missouri had been declared a
Presidential Disaster Area at least once. In the three 1993 Presidential Disaster Declarations
for Missouri, some counties were declared all three times. Flood stage records were broken
at nearly every Missouri recording location along the Upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers.
The historic flood (before the period of recording gages) nearest to the magnitude of the
1993 flooding was the flood in 1844.
Locations/Areas Affected
Owners of repetitive loss properties clearly have knowledge that there is a highly likely
chance of being flooded in future rain events. The largest single drain on flood insurance
reserve funds is repetitive claims from repetitive loss properties (Galloway report). Missouri
ranks first among non-coastal states in repetitive losses. Missouri has 3,268 repetitive loss
buildings that have resulted in 10,038 loss claims.
During the 1993 flood the following gives an account of Jefferson County areas that were
affected by the inundation. Based on a workshop meeting with Jefferson County and
other community emergency management agencies held on October 17, 2003, the
following locations were specifically identified as locations that become flooded during
various rainfall events. In DeSoto, Joachim Creek and North Main along Cedar Street
became inundated from floodwaters in 1993 and flash flooding near the high school near
Spross Memorial Park on Amvets Drive. In Festus, the community during the 1993 floods,
the community experienced problems with storm drainage and creeks. In Kimmswick, Rock
Creek flooded Highway K. During the 1993 flood Highway K was 33 feet under water and
the Highway K Bridge was 35 feet under water. Other areas of Jefferson County
experienced significant flooding at the confluence of the Big River and Meramec River,
Highway BB, West Old Highway 21, Highway 61/67 and Highway 55. The community of
Arnold experienced significant flooding impacts from the 1993 flood. Areas flooded
included Twin River Road, Big Bend Road, Meadow Drive, Riffle Island, State Road BB, and
River Bend Acres. West of Pevely on Highway Z between Sandy Creek and Cherry Lane, in
1993, floodwaters inundated the bridge; mitigation for this stretch entailed the raising of
the road, property buyouts and replacement of the bridge.
In Festus, all but one of the north-south roads and most of the major streets in the
community were closed due to the 1993 floodwaters including 61/67 and Highway A. The
community was inundated by floodwaters for approximately 5 months during this major
flood event.
Pevely was impacted only slightly during the 1993 flood, according to Ron Thomure.
Pevely is located about ½ to 1 mile west of the Mississippi River. Ancient Oaks subdivision,
located in the southwest portion of the community was affected when floodwaters from
nearby Sandy Creek inundated the sewage treatment system (lagoon) for the subdivision.
Further, in 1993 west of Pevely along Highway Z, Sandy Creek flooded the roadway. The
Missouri Department of Transportation subsequent to the flooding event raised the
roadbed and replaced the bridge above the 100-year event. As a result of the 1993 flood,