Dam failure in SE Missouri

[streetsoldier]

Just heard that the Upper Taum Sauk Dam, in Reynolds County (about 140 miles WNW of us) broke open; some homes and at least one 18-wheeler washed away at this time; four people missing. The dam broke due to high rain accumulation; the area is rural, w/o any large cities nearby.

For those familiar with Missouri, Reynolds County is home to "Johnson's Shut-Ins", a favorite spot for camping, and the BSA Taum Sauk Indian Trail.

[azskyman]

Thanks for the update and commentary, Bill. Glad it wasn't your neighborhood! Did you get a lot of rain too?

[streetsoldier]

We had snow cover for a few days, and are getting rain now; the Black River flood waters won't affect us (too far NW).

For comparison, the dam break is equidistant from both Sikeston and St. Louis, drawing a triangle from STL due south to Sikeston, then west to Reynolds County. The affected county is due west of Fredericktown.

[wx247]

I heard that on the news this morning Bill. Do you know if that dam has had any problems like this in the past?

[streetsoldier]

Not to my knowledge, but all the info isn't "in" yet.

[streetsoldier]

I just checked a few online maps; the Upper Taum Sauk Dam and reservoir is loacted at the highest point in Missouri. The three forks of the Black River join above Lesterville, then south to Clearwater Dam, which is just above Poplar Bluff (45 miles due west of us).

From there, the Black River flows SE to the Arkansas border. What bothers me is whether Clearwater Dam is strong enough to contain the floodwater; if not, Poplar Bluff may be on the "hit list".