(WIBW) - Two communities in Doniphan County began voluntary evacuations Monday in flood-prone areas.
The state's Emergency Operation Center in Topeka will go to partial activation level Tuesday, staffed on a 24-hour basis to monitor levels along the Missouri River. It's already above flood stage at Saint Joseph, Missouri, which affects Wathena and Elwood in Doniphan County.
A federal emergency declaration was issued Sunday for Doniphan, Atchison, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties because of the flooding potential. KDHE says a shelter has been set up at the First Baptist Church in Wathena.
Additional information from Kansas Emergency Management:
The river stage in the St. Joseph, Mo., area, which affects Elwood and Wathena in Kansas, was at 27.25 feet as of 7:30 a.m. Monday. Flood waters are projected to rise to approximately 28 feet by Tuesday afternoon. The major flood stage at that part of the river is 27 feet.
In Atchison County, the river was at 30.1 feet as of 7:30 a.m. Monday. The level is projected to rise to approximately 31.2 feet by Wednesday afternoon, June 29. The major flood stage at that area of the river is 30 feet.
As of 7:43 a.m. Sunday, the Missouri River was at 25.4 feet in Leavenworth County. The level is projected to trend upward to 26.2 feet by Tuesday afternoon with a major flood stage of 30 feet.
On Friday, June 24, the U.S. Coast Guard closed the Missouri River to all vessels traffic, including fishing and recreational boats, from mile marker 397at Leavenworth northward to mile marker 811 near Gavins Point Dam in Yankton, S.D. The closure was a result of consultations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the governors of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri to ensure the safety of people who use the Missouri River for commerce or recreation.
“The high water level hides submerged obstacles, making any kind of boating unsafe,” said Capt. Rob Ladner, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
Earlier in June, 10 Kansas National Guardsmen from the 2nd Battalion, 130th Field Artillery deployed to Doniphan County with two gator vehicles to monitor levees in the Elwood and Wathena areas and provide assessments of their condition. One Kansas Adjutant General’s Department staff member also deployed to provide geospatial information support.
Two five-person Incident Management Teams were also deployed by KDEM to Doniphan County June 7 to support emergency management officials in that county. They returned home June 8.
