As rivers rise in central U.S., more rain on way
At least 3 dead after days of severe storms
OKLAHOMA CITY — Waterlogged parts of the central U.S. braced Wednesday for more rain, following days of severe storms that have battered Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and caused at least three deaths.
Authorities urged residents of several small towns in Oklahoma and Kansas to leave their homes as rivers and streams rose. In the Missouri capital of Jefferson City, the mayor issued a mandatory evacuation for an area involving a handful of homes. The city’s airport also has been evacuated.
The Arkansas River was approaching historic highs, while the already high Missouri and Mississippi Rivers were again rising after a multi-day stretch of storms that produced dozens of tornadoes. Forecasters predicted parts of Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas could see more severe weather into today.
“The biggest concern is more rain,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said during a news conference following an aerial tour with Tulsa Mayor G.W. Bynum and other officials on Wednesday.
The deluge inundated roadways, closing highways in 22 Oklahoma counties and 17 Kansas counties, along with more than 330 Missouri roads. Amtrak suspended train service Wednesday and today along a route between St. Louis and Kansas City because of congestion and flood-related delays.
The Arkansas River, which was just above 11 metres, or 2.74 metres above flood stage, at Muskogee, Oklahoma, was expected to reach 13.3 metres. Officials encouraged residents in several communities along the river to leave their homes.
Deaths from this week’s storms include a 74-year-old woman found early Wednesday in Iowa. Officials said she was killed by a possible tornado that damaged a farmstead in Adair County. Missouri authorities said heavy rain was a contributing factor in the deaths of two people in a traffic accident Tuesday near Springfield.
A fourth weather-related death might have occurred in Oklahoma, where the Highway Patrol said a woman apparently drowned after driving around a barricade Tuesday near Perkins, 72 kilometres northeast of Oklahoma City. The unidentified woman’s body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office to confirm the cause of death.