Rainy weather brings back memories of 1993

Rain, rain go away!" The childhood song is becoming an anthem among people in the Midwest.

The amount of rainfall has led climatologists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to compare today's conditions to the flood of 1993, and has local citizens keeping an eye on the rain gauge and area flood gauges as rain continues to fall with regularity in Missouri.

The precipitation levels since Jan. 1 in the nine-state Midwest region are higher and cover a much larger area than same period in 1993. In 1993, the major rains occurred in June and July and the most significant flooding was later in the year. The year, the rain came sooner. According to Mike Palecki, a regional climatologist with the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey, "In many locations in the Midwest, precipitation has accumulated faster than during the same period in 1993."

In 1993, statewide flooding occurred, with major levee breaks on the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers; but so far this year, flooding damages have been mainly on the tributaries of the Mississippi. Only minor flooding has occurred so far in Vernon County.

Around Nevada and Vernon County, flooding in 1993 was evident.

The Marmaton River hit an all time record high with flood levels of 47.2 feet on July 24, 1993, inundating large areas with water. At 35 feet that year, the flood waters rose to the Old U.S. Highway 71 bridge north of Nevada. In addition, flood waters began to impact the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 71, near the junction of Douglas Branch and Marmaton River.

Palecki said the reason there is less flooding this year, with more rain at a faster rate, than that of 1993, has to do with precipitation levels the previous fall and winter. In the fall of 1992, (September-November) the amount of rain was 125-150 percent higher than normal, while the rainfall during the same months in 2007, the Midwest received only 50 to 75 percent of the normal rainfall. Also the amount of snowfall was higher in 1992 than in 2007. All of this led to saturated ground in 1993, which allowed less rainfall to cause more damage.

Farmers in the Midwest could, however, be in for worse conditions this year than in 1993. The wet soils have led to planting delays of corn and soybeans across the cornbelt. While widespread flood damage has occurred already this year in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana, crop damage in 1993 did not begin until mid-June.

The amount of rain so far this year has had its effect on the local rivers, the Little Osage, the Marmaton, and the Osage Rivers have all had their fair share of flooding this summer. According to NOAA's Web site, the Marmaton's highest level so far was 23.9 feet. Moderate flooding begins at 24 feet. The Osage River near Schell City was at 30 feet by Monday evening, with moderate flooding beginning at 32 feet. The Little Osage River was at 42 feet on Monday as well.

The county remains under flood warnings due to these rivers being above flood stage and these rivers are expected to crest later this week, depending on how much rainfall occurs during the next few days, and where that rainfall occurs. A slight chance of more rain is in the forecast for Thursday.