Some amazing preliminary observations of the flood records

[fishinwrench]

51 minutes ago, fshndoug said:

Ignorant about everything else.You need to watch the history channel more often and learn about the great building feats of centuries past.Ther are great cathedrals that took several hundred years to build that are still standing.I will bet there isn't anything we do that will surpass that.I know that you probably made those statements in jest.

It's all because of the shoes!  

Maybe we could do things better these days if we had more robust footwear. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Flip flops?

[Blazerman]

On 5/2/2017 at 10:24 PM, Al Agnew said:

Bourbeuse River at Union:

It was one of the few which didn't set a new record.  Not even close.  It peaked at around 42,000 cfs, which tied 1994, with 1897, 1915, 2016, and the all time record of 73,300 cfs in 1983 all beating this year's flood.  Which points out something else...the December 2016 flood, which set records on the lower Meramec in St. Louis County, was not as bad as it could have been, and neither will this one be unless the rain this week adds to it.  Why?  Last December, Big River didn't reach it's previous record.  This flood, the Bourbeuse was well below it's record flow.  If both rivers ever set records at the same time the Meramec itself above them is setting a record, the lower Meramec will go several feet higher yet.

This is a scary scenario and it would indicate the levies they have in place right now will not help if this happens.

I cannot understand though how the Bourbeuse was not blowing away the old records. With as wide spread as the rain was over the state and how heavy it was it seems odd that the Bourbeuse did not get that high. 

[MickinMO]

7 minutes ago, Blazerman said:

This is a scary scenario and it would indicate the levies they have in place right now will not help if this happens.

I cannot understand though how the Bourbeuse was not blowing away the old records. With as wide spread as the rain was over the state and how heavy it was it seems odd that the Bourbeuse did not get that high. 

There wasn't as much rain north of 44

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

Flip flops?

Yeah!   Everybody does everything in flip-flops nowadays, and that's why nothing is worth a crap. ?

Whenever I come across something that is a POS I'm gonna blame it on flip-flops from now on.  

[moguy1973]

2 minutes ago, MickinMO said:

There wasn't as much rain north of 44

Yep, that was the saving grace for the Bourbeuse.  Most of the rain fell in the Upper Meramec and Big River basins this time.

[Greasy B]

45 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Yeah!   Everybody does everything in flip-flops nowadays, and that's why nothing is worth a crap. ?

Whenever I come across something that is a POS I'm gonna blame it on flip-flops from now on.  

Ha ha, I think your on to something, I'll take it a step further. Are there any societies in the world that expose their toes and thrive?

[Greasy B]

2 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I agree.  I've lived here my whole life and it still baffles me why anyone would live in a flood plain.  The news comes on with a big story, "West Alton braces for floods"

Really??  Boy that never happens every year.

I seen the levee at greens bottom in St Charles county being topped on the way to work this morning. Of course St Louis county won the race to build the highest levee on that part of the river. 

One thing I seldom hear any discussion about is how little we really know about weather patterns and how the data we have accumulated only represent a glimpse of what could actually happen. 

Next time the proverbial butterfly on the other side of the planet might flap its wings and the weather pattern we just had could last twice as long. It could also coincide with high water from snow runoff or a rain event far north of our part of the Missouri River. Thats the flood that will top the Levees in chesterfield and turn Blue Valley back into Gumbo Bottoms. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

Gumbo Flats!   That's a name I haven't heard in years.  The old school house bar.  What a joint.

[moguy1973]

25 minutes ago, Greasy B said:

I seen the levee at greens bottom in St Charles county being topped on the way to work this morning. Of course St Louis county won the race to build the highest levee on that part of the river. 

One thing I seldom hear any discussion about is how little we really know about weather patterns and how the data we have accumulated only represent a glimpse of what could actually happen. 

Next time the proverbial butterfly on the other side of the planet might flap its wings and the weather pattern we just had could last twice as long. It could also coincide with high water from snow runoff or a rain event far north of our part of the Missouri River. Thats the flood that will top the Levees in chesterfield and turn Blue Valley back into Gumbo Bottoms. 

I just read an article about how poorly the dam at Lake Fort Peck up on the Missouri River in Montana could be the mother of all floods here in Missouri.  It's the largest earthen dam in the world and it's construction is made from hydraulic fill which is prone to liquification and catastrophic failure that would wipe out every other dam, bridge, and town along the Missouri River.  Levees wouldn't even stand a chance if that lets loose.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/guest-commentary-the-looming-missouri-dam-flood/article_2b1eeca2-e701-51dd-83c2-f7bcc81845a4.html