By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
As floodwaters receded along creeks and rivers in the area, officials on Thursday began cleanup and damage assessment.
“We’re not even into the spring-storm season yet,” said Gary Roark, Newton County emergency management director.
President Bush on Wednesday night announced a major-disaster declaration including 69 counties in Missouri and the city of St. Louis. Area counties listed include Barry, Barton, Jasper, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton and Vernon. The flooding was caused by heavy rainfall from Monday into early Wednesday across the area.
The disaster declaration allows state and local governments to seek reimbursement for rescue and other work they have done related to the flood, but it provides no government assistance to individuals, said Keith Stammer, Jasper County emergency management director.
“I do know the state is going to start public-damage assessments almost immediately,” Stammer said. He said an assessment team is expected by the start of next week.
Stammer said the highest water in Jasper County was on Shoal Creek. The creek crested at a record high 18.4 feet on Wednesday in Joplin, according to the National Weather Service in Springfield. The previous record was 17.24 feet in June 1995. Stammer said the creek on Thursday was below flood level at 13.77 feet in Joplin.
He said some motorists along Spring River north of Carthage were stranded by flooding and had to be rescued Wednesday.
Stammer said that in the immediate area, Newton and McDonald counties fared far worse than did Jasper County.
It was in Lawrence County, at Monett, where 19-year-old Mark Speir Jr. drowned Tuesday night after wading in Kelly Creek. His body was recovered Wednesday morning in Clear Creek.
Gregg Sweeten, McDonald County emergency management director, said Elk River and Indian Creek, which caused the most problems Tuesday and Wednesday, were falling dramatically on Thursday.
“The last I remember it being this bad was ’95 or ’96,” Sweeten said.
He said businesses on Thursday were starting to clean up from the flooding, and residents were beginning to clean up their houses and yards.
Gary Wilson, a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey, said Little Sugar Creek at Pineville crested Wednesday at 18.5 feet, breaking the record of 13.5 feet set in 2005.
Roark, the Newton County emergency management director, said a motorist was rescued Wednesday night along Shoal Creek just north of Neosho. Roark said the man was trapped in his car for as long as four hours before he was discovered and rescued. The man, suffering from hypothermia, was taken to a Joplin hospital.
Neither Roark nor Newton County Chief Deputy Chris Jennings had further details Thursday.
Roark said the flooding and flooding problems on Wednesday followed Shoal Creek, starting at Neosho and Tipton Ford in the morning and proceeding throughout the day to Redings Mill and Joplin.
“Shoal Creek is pretty much under control,” he said Thursday.
Roark said the cleanup may take some time.
“Roads are damaged,” he said. “Maybe bridges will be damaged. The bridge approaches get a lot of debris accumulating during a flood. Debris cleanup is always a major problem.”
Roark said the worst of the flooding appears to be over. He said any weekend rains aren’t expected to be heavy enough to cause more flooding.
“I’m glad to see sunshine,” he said.
Staff writer Greg Grisolano contributed to this report.
Added problem
Gary Roark, Newton County emergency management director, said downed limbs from the December ice storm exacerbated the flooding by washing downstream and clogging culverts.
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