9/3/93
By Bev Darr and Brien Murphy
Courier-Post Staff Writers

Hannibal's new flood wall is ready but will not be needed this time, although the river is 3 feet above the 16-foot flood stage today in Hannibal, according to city officials.

The river rose 4.3 feet during the past weekend and was measured at 19.5 feet this morning. However, after the National Weather Service in St. Louis issued a crest prediction of 19.8 feet, city officials canceled preparations to install the five gates at street crossings for the flood levee.

John Hark, director of emergency management for Hannibal and Marion County, said the gates would not be needed, based on that crest prediction, and put the gates back in storage this morning.

A crane had been contracted and brought to the flood wall for possible installation of the gates, Hark said, but it was dismissed today.

At Lock and Dam No. 22 at Saverton, the gates have all been opened to let the water run through, according to lockman Carl Fox. He explained that whenever the tailwater (water below the dam) goes above 12.5 feet, "we open everything up. We raise the gates on the dam out of the water. But we still lock the tows through the lock itself."

Area sheriff's department reported high water in creeks and rivers but only Lewis County reported a problem with the Mississippi. The Lewis County Sheriff's Department said the river is getting very close to Route B at LaGrange; however, some creeks have started to recede, he said.

Other sheriff's departments said creeks and rivers are bankfull but no flooding has been reported.

Mark Twain Lake is also on the rise but is 23 feet below the flood stage of 638 feet. Susie Mayfield, clerk at the lake management office, said the lake's crest prediction, issued at the Water Control office in St. Louis, is 617 feet on Thursday.

The lake rose 7.1 feet during the past weekend, from 608.5 feet Friday to 615.6 feet today.

Flood preparations in Hannibal were under way Sunday as city officials watched the rising Mississippi. At 4 p.m. Saturday the river was measured at 17.6 feet, and it rose to 19.4 feet by 4 p.m. Sunday.

By 12:45 p.m. Sunday, water had risen about halfway up the cobblestone drive between the river and Kiwanis Park, with traffic down to one-way at a time.

Across the bridge, the John Hay Recreation Area was almost completely under water Sunday afternoon except for a small island where a pickup truck and boat trailer were parked. The truck's owner was able to drive back to the highway.

Water was still several yards from reaching the railroad tracks along Riverview Park. However, the Pirates Cove, where actors from the Mark Twain Amphitheatre advertise shows to riverboat cruise passengers, was almost underwater.

Large debris, including what appeared to be an entire tree, floated in the fast-moving river Sunday.

By 5 p.m. Sunday, some of the flood gates were on flatbed trucks at Hill and Center streets as city crews prepared for possible installation.