The deluge that occurred earlier this week brought 7 to 10 inches of rain to the St. Louis area. All of this water had to go somewhere and now the creeks, streams and rivers are full, leading to several major rivers spilling over and flooding major roads and thoroughfares. 

MoDOT says it is closing Rt. 141 at I-44 before the Thursday morning rush in anticipation of the rising flood waters. The closure is expected to remain throughout the weekend. During the closure, there will be limited access to eastbound and westbound I-44 from Route 141.

What You Need To Know

  • Rainfall earlier in the week totaled 7 to 10 inches
  • MoDOT to close Rt. 141 at I-44 in anticipation of flooding
  • The Meramec River in Valley Park is forecasted to be in major flood stage late week

  • The Meramec River in Eureka is expected to crest late week above major flood stage

The Meramec River isn’t expected to crest until later in the week for Jefferson and St. Louis counties. A Flood Warning is in effect for the Meramec River until Sunday evening. The Meramec River at Valley Park and Eureka is expected to be above major flood stage at the end of the week, whereas the Meramec River at Arnold will reach minor flood stage late week. 

The Meramec River spans 218 miles in Missouri, from its headwaters near Salem, Mo. meandering through 14 counties before emptying into the Mississippi River near Oakville and Arnold, Mo. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Meramec River was 20.1 feet at Valley Park and is forecasted to crest late Friday into Saturday morning at 33.4 feet, which would be above major flood stage.

At 18 feet, the water reaches flood stage, and at 27 feet, it reaches a major flood stage. The record crest at Valley Park is Dec. 30, 2015, when it reached 44.11 feet.

Further west in Eureka, the river was already at 25.4 feet and expected to crest well above major flood stage at 37 feet Friday afternoon. 

While the river is expected to crest high, it will be much lower than the record crest. The record crest for the Meramec in Eureka was 46.11 feet back in May 2017.

(NWS St. Louis)

Flooding is already ongoing in parts of Jefferson and St. Louis counties, shutting down several roads. 

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