The Current, Black, and St. Francis Rivers rose above flood stage late in the month. A series of heavy rainfall events gradually forced the rivers upward at an unsteady rate. Another round of heavy rain in early May sent some of the rivers to record high flood crests. Impacts of the May flood crests will be included in the May report. Around 21 inches of rain fell across much of southeast Missouri in a ten-day period starting April 22. A persistent southwest flow aloft tended to steer storms northeast from the Plains across the mid-section of the country. Cold fronts tended to stall near southeast Missouri and the Lower Ohio Valley as they became more parallel to the upper-level steering flow. Bands and clusters of thunderstorms frequently developed in the vicinity of the front, producing heavy rainfall.

Flood in RIPLEY, MISSOURI
From 24-APR-11 13:00:00 to 30-APR-11 17:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: DONIPHAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred on the Current River. At the Doniphan river gage, the river crested at 23.76 feet, which was the fifth highest reading on record. About 15 homes were evacuated by boat. Swift water rescue teams were called into the region from as far as Sikeston and Cape Girardeau to assist with flash flood rescues as well as river flood rescues. One of the teams rescued a couple who were stranded in their vehicle. Several businesses were flooded, including a couple of resorts on the river. Much of downtown Doniphan was flooded. Red Cross shelters were opened. The entrance into Doniphan on Highway 142 was closed because of flooding.

Flood in WAYNE, MISSOURI
From 24-APR-11 08:00:00 to 30-APR-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Location: LODI
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

The St. Francis River began its upward trend toward major flooding. The peak flood crest at the Patterson river gage occurred after the end of the month. County schools were closed for days due to numerous road closures. Residents in Greenville built a dirt levee across old U.S. Highway 67 to protect the town from flooding of the lake. The backwater from the lake reached two streets leading into town. Lake Wappapello, which is on the St. Francis River below Greenville, reached its second highest level on record by month's end. A temporary dike was constructed at Wappapello Dam's spillway in an attempt to control overtopping. Lake levels impinged on sections of U.S. Highway 67 and State Route 34. The northbound lanes of U.S. 67 were closed for 1.5 miles near Otter Creek. Officials detoured northbound traffic into one southbound lane. A sandbagging operation kept Highway 34 open.

Flash Flood in BUTLER, MISSOURI
From 25-APR-11 08:15:00 to 28-APR-11 06:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: POPLAR BLUFF
Flood cause: Dam / Levee Break
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

The levees along the Black River from Poplar Bluff to Qulin were overtopped in numerous locations. The levee was compromised in six places and failed in three places. One of the most critical levee problems was near County Road 607 on the southeast outskirts of Poplar Bluff. About 500 residences were evacuated, impacting nearly 1,000 people. Many of the evacuations were from the southeast portion of Poplar Bluff.

Flood in BUTLER, MISSOURI
From 26-APR-11 09:00:00 to 30-APR-11 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Location: FISK
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

The St. Francis River began its upward trend toward major flooding. Rescue workers were called to transport emergency medical personnel by boat to a house near Fisk. The house was inaccessible because of floodwaters. The peak flood crest on the river occurred after the end of the month.

Flood in BUTLER, MISSOURI
From 24-APR-11 13:00:00 to 30-APR-11 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: POPLAR BLUFF
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 4.50M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred on the Black River. The river crested at 21.41 feet at Poplar Bluff, which was the third highest crest on record. The record crest was set only a few years earlier in 2008. The main levee from Poplar Bluff to the Qulin area was overtopped in more than three dozen spots, and a breach occurred in one spot just outside of Poplar Bluff. The part of the levee protecting most of Poplar Bluff, including the downtown area, was on the verge of failure for over 24 hours. Some homes in the flood plain were flooded, mostly in rural areas south of Poplar Bluff. Areas of south central Butler County were evacuated. A Red Cross shelter housed over 300 residents at times. Most area schools were closed during the crisis. Grain bins were flooded, though some of the crop was removed before the flooding could damage it. Numerous state and county roads were closed, including Highway 53. A couple of critical water rescues were conducted on Highway 53, where two motorists were stranded in submerged vehicles. The driver of a submerged pickup truck was found in chest-deep water, still in his seat belt. He was transferred into a boat and taken to dry land. In a nearby location, a van was swept off the roadway. It was found nose-up in a ditch. The driver was able to climb into the back of the van, open the doors, and step onto a fire department tanker truck that parked next to him. Hundreds of National Guard troops assisted with rescuing people stranded in homes and vehicles. A preliminary count indicated 53 homes and 23 businesses were flooded in south and east parts of Poplar Bluff, in addition to two churches and an unknown number of public buildings. Numerous additional homes were flooded outside the Poplar Bluff city limits, including the Qulin and Broseley areas. Parts of Qulin were flooded, including a number of homes. The flooding in Qulin was reportedly about the same as the 2008 flood. Between Qulin and Neelyville, residents of the Coon Island area were evacuated by special National Guard tactical vehicles. In the Neelyville area, about a half dozen or so people were evacuated by boat, and about two dozen others left on their own.

Flood in CARTER, MISSOURI
From 26-APR-11 08:00:00 to 27-APR-11 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: VAN BUREN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 5.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Minor flooding occurred on the Current River. At Van Buren, the river crested at 21.14 feet. Flood stage is 20 feet. A few homes were evacuated, mainly due to flooded access roads to the houses. Riverfront Park in Van Buren was flooded.