JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — More than 100 members of the Missouri National Guard are dispatched across the state to aid with storm damage and flood preparations as the rain continues.
Gov. Mike Parson activated the Missouri National Guard earlier this week in response to continued flooding and devastating storms and tornadoes that have hit the state in recent weeks. They will remain on duty until released by the governor.
Since Monday, more than 100 Guardsmen have been on-mission in Brunswick, Canton, Clarksville, Hannibal, and Jefferson City, spokesman Maj. John Quin said.
In Jefferson City, where the Joint Operations Center is located, the Missouri National Guard is helping the fire department prepare for high-water situations as the flooding continues. Elsewhere, Guardsmen are working with volunteers and residents to reinforce levees and help sandbagging efforts.
In Hannibal, Rep. Louis Riggs praised the Missouri National Guard for doing a “great job” in assisting efforts to stave off floods as waters are expected to crest 1 foot below the 1993 record later this week. The Guard arrived in Hannibal Wednesday morning, and Guardsmen have assisted with building up levees higher than they were in 1993.
“The Guard has been a tremendous help in my district and are also working hard to shore up the Canton levee to our north in [the] 4th District. We appreciate their service and their assistance at such a critical time,” Riggs told The Missouri Times.
In announcing his decision to activate the Missouri National Guard, Parson said, “The Guard has demonstrated its capabilities in response to natural disasters across Missouri, and I know they’ll make a difference at this critical time.”
As more rain and storm systems sweep across the Midwest— particularly in northern Missouri and southern Iowa — communities particularly situated along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers are bracing for catastrophic flooding. Officials are begrudgingly preparing for flood levels similar to the Great Flood of 1993.
Additionally, a calamitous EF-3 tornado ripped through Jefferson City last week, and the capital city, located on the Missouri River, is also flooding.
The Missouri National Guard is regularly updating its Facebook page and Twitter account and has encouraged the public to check those sites for updates.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
