ST. PETERS, Mo. – A vastly different scene this morning in Old Town St. Peters, where just 24 hours prior, flood waters inundated homes and businesses.
The nearly 13” of rain that fell in St. Peters on Tuesday combined with nearby Dardenne Creek, prompted water rescues and evacuations from those residences and businesses.
The water may have receded today, but the cleanup also began. Driving down Main Street, there was evidence from Tuesday’s flash flooding by all the debris along the street. From garbage to tree branches to mud, it was everywhere.
Travers Autoplex workers used a leaf blower to clean up the now almost empty car lot. The lot, that just a day ago, housed vehicles for sale when the flood struck.
It’s unsure of how many cars sustained water damage, but the cars from the front of the lot are now gone.
As for Hobo’s at the Legion, a local institution for barbecue and catfish in Old Town St. Peters, the cleanup was apparent. The basement of the restaurant housed their inventory. I was told there was still about 5” of water in the basement, but they were going to salvage what they could.
Clothed in gloves and rain boots, employees at Hobo’s worked as a team to dispose of the ruined goods, most of which included beverages. They hope to return to business as usual by Friday.
Further down the road is Lone Wolff Park, a tranquil park with a small pavilion and corral, located steps from the Dardenne Creek. Today, this quiet space was under feet of water with only the roof of the pavilion visible.
Standing on the bridge overlooking the creek, one might confuse this normally docile creek with a raging river. A strong current carried tree debris downstream.
Usually a 1-2’ deep creek, water levels rose drastically, from 1.63’ at 10:45 pm on Monday to 14.14’ at 2:45 am to peaking at 23.53’ by 1:00 pm Tuesday. By 4:00 pm Wednesday, the creek was near flood stage at just above 18’.
Forecasted levels have the creek returning to normal by Monday, August 1.