Flood Warning Issued Along Missouri River

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is issuing a flood warning for Missouri residents, urging them to take steps now before the spring thaw.

KMBC’s Jim Flink went to Parkville, where residents are watching Missouri River levels.

“Last year, (flooding) cost us a lot of time and money,” said John Kuhns, whose HMS Beagle store is just upstream from the river. “We had lots of telescopes and chemicals and glassware and robot kits, and we had to load it all up into a truck.”

Residents along the Missouri River are most concerned about a repeat of the severe flooding from 1993, which was 15 years ago this spring.

Parkville Mayor Kathy Dusenbery said she knows the ground is already saturated from recent storms. The town of Riverside has a levee to protect it, but Parkville does not.

“I’ll be real honest — that is a concern. Where’s that water to go?” Dusenbery said.

Kuhns said his doorstep is supposed to withstand a 500-year flood, but he knows nature can be unpredictable.

“New Orleans was prepared for hurricanes, but they weren’t prepared for Katrina,” Kuhns said.

FEMA suggests that anyone with a home or business close to a river consider buying flood insurance.

One-fourth of all flood victims nationwide live in an area that is not considered to be flood-prone.

Duration : 0:2:8