In-person classes have been canceled on Tuesday for West Plains and surrounding school districts, and Missouri State University-West Plains classes are canceled today due to heavy rainfall and flooding, officials have announced.
West Plains schools are monitoring the weather and anticipating a break in the rain at 1:45 p.m. today to allow waters to recede and buses to run their normal routes, said R-7 Schools Communications Director Lana Snodgras, responding shortly after noon to an inquiry from the Quill. The decision to cancel in-person classes for the district on Tuesday was announced at 10 a.m. All students in the district will participate in an alternative method of instruction (AMI) day, with students in seventh grade and above completing work on Chromebooks via Google Classroom, and younger students taking home assignments from teachers at dismissal today, officials said.
MSU-WP Chancellor Dennis Lancaster spoke to the Quill and said the campus has canceled its classes for today, and is monitoring the weather for Tuesday.
Howell Creek in the center of West Plains was approaching its banks but had not breached as of 12:30 p.m. today. Videos posted to social media showed rapidly rushing waters over many main roads, including Broadway near Porter Wagoner Boulevard, where floodwaters could be seen against the entrance to Little Caesars Pizza.
A flash flood warning — meaning flash floods are happening or imminent — is in effect until 1:30 p.m. today, and a flood watch will remain in place through 6 a.m. Tuesday. During a flood watch, elements that could lead to flooding may come into play.
In the 24-hour period preceding 12:32 a.m. today, the National Weather Service office in Springfield had recorded 1.52 inches of rainfall in West Plains. More has fallen since, with local storm reports submitted to the office showing Washington Avenue and Broadway was impassable at 4:16 a.m., with between 5 and 6 inches of rain ponded at the intersection. As of 6:42 a.m., Summersville in Texas County had reported 4.84 inches of rain.
The Howell County Sheriff’s Office issued a media statement this morning urging residents to stay home if at all possible due to the conditions, and to avoid low water crossings if they must drive.
“We have had reports of several vehicles submerged in water this morning,” said Public Information Officer Angela Conboy, adding that flooding was reported in Howell County at county roads 8630 and 9100, 1280 and 2010 and 5130 a mile from CC Highway, as well as W Highway 3 miles south of Mtn. View and the junction of MM and K highways near West Plains.
At 12:22 p.m., West Plains police published an update to Facebook that Bratton and Howell Avenues, First through 10th streets, Sunset Terrace, Lanton Road, Lincoln and St. Louis streets, Washington and Jefferson avenues, County Road 1770 and BB Highway inside city limits are all underwater, and urged drivers to take alternative routes.
Water rescues were performed at 8:45 a.m. on County Road 9100 near Spring Creek in the South Fork area, and County Road 1280 north of JMB Park on BB Highway near West Plains, where a car flooded out, reports show.
Road closures due to flooding have been reported in the following locations: P Highway at Big Creek in Shannon County; U Highway at the South Prong of Jacks Fork in Texas County; H Highway at the North Fork of the White River in Sycamore, Ozark County; Y Highway in Mtn. View; UU Highway at Lost Camp Creek in Pomona; T and J highways in Hardenville, Ozark County; Highway 95 in Rockbridge, Ozark County.
Strong thunderstorms rolled through southeastern Ozark and southern Howell counties around 3 a.m. this morning, with flash flood warnings issued within that hour, indicated by radar, for Ozark, Douglas, Howell and Texas counties. Further radar-indicated flood warnings were issued between about 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. for Jacks Fork at Alley Spring and Eminence and the Current River at Powder Mill, all in Shannon County.
The area forecast discussion from the NWS in Springfield shows another 1 to 3 inches of rain, with 4 inches possible in localized places, can be expected through tonight areawide, and residents are encouraged to remain weather-aware due to a concern of damaging winds and tornadoes between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m.
“This will likely be a rapidly evolving severe event late this afternoon and evening, and we encourage everyone to remain weather aware and have ways to get to a safe location if storms approach,” said meteorologists, specifying the areas of concern are far southwest Missouri, with some models showing movement just south of the Missouri/Arkansas border and creeping north as far as a line from Joplin to Springfield to Houston. The predictability of this storm system is such that meteorologist called it a “tough forecast and busy weather for the next 24 to 36 hours” in the discussion, issued just before 4 a.m. today.
This is a developing story. Continue watching the Quill online at www.westplainsdailyquill.net and Wednesday’s print edition for updates.
Editor's note: This article was corrected at 1:50 p.m. to correct an earlier statement that Chancellor Dennis Lancaster dropped by the Quill; he spoke to a reporter from the Quill who was on location taking the photo of Howell Creek at the Grizzly Lofts.
