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| Roadways blocked as floodwaters rise |
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| News - Linn County News | |||
| Written by Doug Carder | |||
| Friday, 01 May 2009 09:20 | |||
 The muddy Marais des Cygnes shot up in jet streams as Joseph Grant’s four-wheel drive GMC Yukon plowed through floodwaters rushing across Linn County Highway 1095 west of La Cygne on Wednesday morning as the river flowed from its banks and engulfed neighboring farm ground.“I had no choice,” Grant said as he looked out his open window at the logs swirling in the gurgling water pooling alongside the roadbed. “I have to take care of my horses.” Grant, a horse trainer, was returning from checking on the 11 horses in his care at a farm on the other side of the floodwaters. “This isn’t too bad right now. It will get a lot worse than this,” Grant said. “I’ve seen this whole road under water.” Linn County officials were making preparations Wednesday afternoon to handle flooding, as rippling water from Middle Creek coursed across Kansas Highway 152 east of La Cygne. Linn County Clerk David Lamb said a third ambulance from American Medical Response may be called into use if floodwaters continue to rise and cut off ambulance service to portions of the county. “We’re waiting to see if the water goes over 152 Highway west of La Cygne before we put an ambulance on the west side of the county,” Lamb said. Doug Barlet, Linn County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, heard reports Thursday morning that floodwaters had indeed enveloped 152 Highway, and at press time, he was traveling to the area to confirm the flooding. He also said several Linn County roads were impassable due to floodwaters, but he did not yet have a specific list. In Miami County, officials were keeping an eye on the levels of Pottawatomie Creek and the Marais des Cygnes River, the two bodies of water that turned Osawatomie into an island in the stream during the great flood of 2007. “If we get that 6 to 8 inches of rain over in Ottawa, that will really affect Miami County,” Miami County Sheriff Frank Kelly said of Wednesday night’s forecast. Kelly said his office was going to contact Osawatomie State Hospital officials about using their grounds again for a command post and evacuations, if necessary. But for now, the sheriff said the city’s first concern was dealing with rainwater building up inside the levees. Osawatomie city crews and firefighters were busy Wednesday afternoon pumping rainwater ponding inside the city back over the Marais des Cygnes River dike. A flood warning continued to be in affect for Osawatomie in Miami County and La Cygne and Trading Post in Linn County on Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. The river level at Osawatomie was 35.4 feet at 5:15 a.m. Thursday. Minor flooding was occurring and minor flooding is forecast, according to NWS. Flood stage is 28 feet. Barring heavy rains, the river was expected to fall below flood stage by Friday evening. In La Cygne early Thursday, the river level was 30 feet — 5 feet above flood stage. The NWS was reporting moderate flooding was occurring, with moderate flooding remaining in the forecast. Barring significant rains, the river level was expected to fall below flood stage by late Sunday morning. — Staff writers Robin Hixson and Chase Jordan contributed to this story.
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