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May 1, 2009

Minor flooding, hail reported in area

From staff reports

news@joplinglobe.com

Minor flooding and hail were reported throughout the region Friday.

“We had reports of baseball-sized hail in the Avilla area,” said Keith Stammer, emergency management coordinator for Joplin and Jasper County.

Back windows were broken out of several vehicles when hail fell south of Avilla just after 8 a.m., according to a spokesman for the Avilla Volunteer Fire District.

That hail occurred in a two-mile-wide area northeast of Reeds, damaging cars and stripping leaves from trees, said Fire Chief Tim Gunter. So much hail had fallen in some areas “that it looked like snow.”

Stammer said the county experienced “significant rainfall, but it’s been spread out,” to lessen its impact on local waterways.

Jason Allison, Cherokee County, Kan., emergency management director, said the Neosho River in the southwestern part of the county was the main concern Friday.

He said the area south of U.S. Highway 160 to the Oklahoma border was threatened. He said Labette County officials were working the west side of the river.

Allison said emergency workers checked on the well-being of residents along the river. He said as of Friday, none had left their homes.

Spring River in the eastern part of the county could become a problem with more rain, he said.

Downstream, in Miami, Okla., floodwaters from the Neosho River inundated part of Riverview Park and covered part of Oklahoma Highway 125. The highway was barricaded to traffic and the gates at the park were shut to discourage visitors.

The Grand River Dam Authority notified Miami officials that the Neosho River was expected to crest below the level of any nearby houses, according to the city’s emergency preparedness office.

In Missouri, flooding closed several roads during the day.

The Missouri Department of Transportation reported that Route FF west of Missouri Highway 59 in Jasper County was closed for a while. Other closures included Missouri Highway 76 east of Cassville, Business 76 at Missouri Highway 37, and routes Y, U and C in Barry County.

Gary Roark, Newton County Emergency Management director, said, “So far, so good,” when contacted Friday afternoon about storm problems.

The rains spread out enough that the area has been able to absorb the water and minimize the runoff, he said.

Dave Gaede, science and operations officer with the National Weather Service station in Springfield, said residents should expect more of the same today. The potential for heavy rainfall persists into the weekend, with another 1 to 3 inches possible before the storms play out late Sunday.

Rain chances decrease Sunday night and Monday but storms could return Tuesday and Wednesday, he said.



No rest

“It will be a busy weekend.”

— Jason Allison, Cherokee County, Kan., emergency management director.

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