'Typical Spring Flood' Expected to Ebb as Meramec Recedes This Week

"We got pretty lucky, it's just a typical spring flood," said Fenton City Administrator Mark Sartors as the rising waters of the Meramec River forced closure of the River Road (Larkin Williams Road) Monday. In Sunset Hills, flood waters caused the closure of Minnie Ha Ha Park, as well as West Watson Road where the ball fields and the Sunset Hills Driving Range were underwater.

A couple of St. Louis County parks in Fenton also were closed Monday due to Meramec flooding, including George Winter Park and Unger Park, as well as Valley Park's Lower Buder Park.

The rising water, caused by rainfall upstream in the Meramec basin was the culprit in the flooding, according to the National Weather Service, and although the road closures were a minor inconvenience to motorists who had to detour around inundated roads, there were no homes or businesses threatened by the rising waters. Plus, river levels are expected to drop in the next several days, according to the NWS.

The NWS forecast predicted the Meramec would fall below flood stage at Valley Park  by Wednesday and would continue to fall at Arnold through the end of the week to 31.2 feet. Flood stage at Arnold is 24 feet. There are no Meramec water level gauges at Fenton or Sunset Hills. The NWS also indicated that forecast rain Monday night and/or Tuesday is not expected to affect the river level.

Sartors was optimistic the River Road would be open Tuesday.

"It's just a guess, but it will probably be open tomorrow morning," Sartors said Monday.

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