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CNN Live Today

Cloudy Skies Add to Flooding Concerns in Missouri

Aired May 16, 2002 - 13:29   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Folks in Missouri can't wait for the weekend because that's when dry weather is supposed to be moving into their area. But today, cloudy skies are adding to the flooding concerns there that have been wreaking havoc up until now. CNN's Jeff Flock has been there for a while, watching the water rise in St. Louis.

Jeff, what's the word?

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I wish it was just clouds, Leon, but right now those clouds seem to be shedding some raindrops. So kind of a drowned rat effect at this hour. But some good news despite this rain. That is, from the Army Corp of Engineers, we finally got on their Web site and are able to give you the latest projections. And that tells us that they have reduced their crest prediction here at St. Louis. If we look at the gauge that's out there behind me, you can see that that's at about 37 feet right now. The latest numbers from the Army Corp is that the crest will be 37 feet, which would mean that we have already hit the worst of it.

Even better news is in their next day's projections. That is, even with this rainfall that is falling right now, they project that the next three days, the river will continue to fall, actually. So, that would be very, very good news. Because the longer the river water stays up, the muddier it gets, the more damage is done. And I want to give you, kind of, a graphic look at what that's like right now.

Perhaps the best way is to go ahead and plunge a camera right in it. This is called the Big Muddy, and when it is flooding and there is a lot of extra water in it, it gets even muddier and nastier. And the deeper we plunge that camera in there, perhaps, the better you see that it really is not a very pleasant thing to have flood water up here lapping on the steps of the St. Louis arch -- the Gateway Arch.

Now one other thing, to let you know, before we get away, and that is that they had considered, perhaps limiting barge traffic up and down the Mississippi. Right now, not planning to do that, and again, if these projections hold a lot of good news. And it would mean that things may start to get back to normal sometime soon. So, of course we will continue to watch it, but good news from the Army Corp of Engineers. Leon, back to you.

HARRIS: All right, Jeff, real quick. The folks you talk to, I don't see any sandbags, so obviously folks there are seemingly to be, at least right now, taking things in stride. Is that the case?

FLOCK: Yeah, you know, these guys have already been through '93, and, you know, I don't know if we're able to see '93, but I would have to walk up another ten -- go ahead and pan up there -- another 10, 15 steps to get to the level of where it was in '93. So nothing like that. Even nothing like '95. So, it is true, these folks are used to a lot worse. And this is not going to measure up, it appears.

HARRIS: That's good news. Here's hoping that it stays that way. Jeff Flock in a soggy St. Louis. Always seems like you're always wet when we talk to you, Jeff.

FLOCK: I don't know why that happens. I don't know who I've done wrong.

HARRIS: Take care, be careful out there, buddy.

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