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Drenching Rains Flood Mississippi Valley and Midwest - 10-08-2009
ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) — Parts of the Midwest were under flash flood warnings Thursday as a slow-moving storm system dumped heavy rain.
Downpours drenched parts of southeast Kansas, and Missouri and Illinois expected several inches of rain into Friday.
A handful of low-lying roads flooded, but there were few traffic problems, transportation officials said. The biggest hardship so far seems to be to corn and soybean farmers in Missouri and Illinois, where spring rains delayed planting and the harvest is already weeks behind schedule. Falling temperatures also have brought a threat of frost.
Dave Down, a 64-year-old farmer with land near land near Peoria, Ill., has brought in only 90 of his 950 acres of corn and none of his 550 acres of soybeans.
"It's sort of frustrating," Down said. "Here I am, with about 10% of my corn picked and no beans. Usually this time of year, we're two-thirds done."
"This whole year has been terrible," he added. At this rate — assuming a freeze doesn't claim his crop — "I think the women will be bringing Thanksgiving dinner out to the combines."
In Illinois, the National Weather Service expected 2 to 4 inches of rain across parts of the southern and central sections of the state before tapering off Friday. Drier-but-cooler conditions were forecast there for the weekend, with highs generally in the 50s or low 60s. However, prospects of a Sunday low near freezing in parts of Illinois' midsection threaten crops.
Anywhere from 2 to 6 inches of rain could fall in southwest Missouri around Springfield, as well as several inches in St. Louis into Friday.
"The responsible culprit is an upper-level storm system in the Desert Southwest, that's drawing warm, moist air into the nation's midsection, where we have a cold front focusing the thunderstorm development," said Steve Runnels, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield, Mo.
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