4/6/93
By: Martha Parsons
Courier-Post Staff Writer

City workers began closing two river gate wells this morning to keep the rising Mississippi River, already nearly three feet above flood stage, from backing up through storm sewers and flooding Hannibal streets.

But not enough rain is predicted to warrant installing the bigger flood gates that close off street openings, officials said, even though the water is already higher than the level at which the city normally closes those gates.

"We will be monitoring the elevation, but based on the prediction, we don't intend to put in the bulkheads unless a rising river stage is predicted," said John Merritt, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps, which coordinates Hannibal's flood-control efforts, will recommend using the flood gates when the river reaches about 20 feet, he said.

The river is predicted to crest to 20.5 feet by Sunday, a National Weather Service spokesman said today. This morning, the river was at 18.83 feet. The city usually installs the flood gates when the water reaches 18.6 feet, said John Hark, director of emergency management for Hannibal and Marion County.

"We're not ruling (using the gates) out, we're just evaluating the situation," he said.

The river has risen a quarter of a foot since Monday's reading of 18.58 feet. On Sunday, the level was 18.21 feet. Technical flood stage is 16 feet.

The Hannibal area has a 30 percent chance of precipitation tonight, and a 50 percent chance Wednesday. Showers and thunderstorms are predicted.

American Cyanamid officials met with city officials today to discuss details of a plan that would allow the city to use the company's crane to set up the flood gates, a Cyanamid official said. The company offered the city free use of the crane, Cyanamid Maintainance Manager Marlow Severin said.

The idea for the collaboration originated during a casual conversaiton between Hannibal Mayor John Yancey and Cyanamid Plant Manager Don Warren, Severin said.

"Now they've turned it over to the Indians to work out the details of how it can be accomplished in the most efficient manner," Severin said. "I don't know if we would be the primary ones, but we certainly would be one of the ones to set the gates."

The contract has not been turned over to the city, but by Wednesday Cyanamid hopes to have the arrangement worked out so it can begin to train its employees, he said. Currently, a private contractor provides some of the services.