A series of heavy rainfall events in April, followed by another heavy rainfall event in early May, kept the Mississippi and St. Francis Rivers above flood stage for all or most of the month. The Mississippi River flooding was major in many locations north of the confluence of the Ohio River. Rainfall totals from April 28-30 ranged from 6 to 10 inches across much of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri. The St. Francis River crested at a new record high at the Patterson gage.

Flood in CAPE GIRARDEAU, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 00:00:00 to 31-MAY-17 23:59:00 (CST-6)
Location: GULF JCT
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 500.00K
Crop damage: 100.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River early in the month. At the Cape Girardeau river gage, the river crested at 45.99 feet on the 6th. Flood stage is 32 feet. This flood crest was only a few inches below the major flood crest in the spring of 2011, but it was nearly three feet below the record set in 2016. The river remained above flood stage for the entire month. There was extensive flooding of low-lying areas of Cape Girardeau County, including dozens of roads, thousands of acres of agricultural land, and some homes and businesses. About 14,000 acres of cropland were flooded, along with another 7,000 acres of land not used for crops. Floodwaters backed up creeks and a diversion channel across southern parts of Cape Girardeau County, threatening areas along Highway 74 out to Dutchtown. A combination of Mississippi River backwater and headwater from small tributaries such as the Whitewater River caused problems as far inland as Delta and Allenville. Highways 74 and 25 were closed. Voluntary evacuations were requested in the Allenville area, where water blocked all roads into town. A couple of houses were flooded in Allenville. Countywide, more than 30 county and state roads were closed, including Highway 177 at the Cape Girardeau city limits. The Red Cross opened a shelter for flood victims. In Cape Girardeau, several homes and a couple of businesses were sandbagged in an area known as the Red Star neighborhood. More than 15 streets were closed by flooding in the city on both the north and south sides of town. Flood mitigation buyouts have resulted in considerably less property damage than the major floods of the 1990's.

Flood in WAYNE, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 00:00:00 to 19-MAY-17 04:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: SILVA
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 1.40M
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Record flooding occurred on the St. Francis River as the month began. The river crested at 37.05 feet on the Patterson river gage on the evening of April 30th. The old record was 35.77 feet in December of 1982. Numerous roads were closed, including Business Route 67 in Greenville and Route 34 at the St. Francis River Bridge. The record river flooding affected Lake Wappapello, which is formed by a dam on the St. Francis River near the town of Wappapello. Water poured over the emergency spillway of the dam. Mandatory evacuations were considered for areas below the dam. The lake levels in Lake Wappapello came close to the record set in 2011, but they did not reach it. Highway T just below the dam was washed out.

Flood in NEW MADRID, MISSOURI
From 02-MAY-17 07:00:00 to 22-MAY-17 10:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: NEW MADRID
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 8.00K
Crop damage: 100.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Minor flooding occurred on the Mississippi River. There was considerable flooding of low-lying cropland. Some county roads and riverside parks were inundated.

Flood in PERRY, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 00:00:00 to 22-MAY-17 18:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: ALTENBURG
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 50.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

There was major flooding along the Mississippi River early in the month. Extensive flooding of low-lying agricultural land and county roads in the flood plain was observed. A voluntary evacuation was declared for the community of Lithium. The Red Cross opened a temporary shelter in Brewer. Several roads were closed, including the Route 51 Mississippi River bridge to Chester, IL. Highway E near Menfro was closed. Most of the other roads were rural county roads. A main railway was closed due to water over the tracks. Residents of the small community of Wittenburg along the river were forced to evacuate or use boats to reach their property. Most houses along the river have been abandoned after being repeatedly flooded over the years.

Flood in SCOTT, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 00:00:00 to 22-MAY-17 14:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: COMMERCE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: 250.00K
Crop damage: 100.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred along the Mississippi River early in the month. At the Thebes, IL river gage, the river crested at 43.18 feet on the 6th. Flood stage is 33 feet. This flood crest was about two feet below the crest during the historic 2011 flood. There was extensive flooding of low-lying agricultural land and county roads. A couple dozen homes were threatened in Commerce, causing a partial evacuation of the town. A large portion of Route EE was closed. Three homes on Scott County Road 308 alongside the Mississippi River were underwater. Thousands of acres of cropland were flooded. The primary effect on residents near the river was difficult access due to flooded roads. Flood risk reduction measures that were installed after the massive flood of 2011 helped mitigate damage. Personnel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted daily inspections of levees for seepage and other problems.

Flood in BUTLER, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 23:00:00 to 29-MAY-17 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: FISK
Flood cause: Planned Dam Release
Property damage: 150.00K
Crop damage: 20.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred on the St. Francis River. The river crested at 26.13 feet on the Fisk river gage on the night of the 2nd. The record crest is 28.00 feet in 1927. This part of the river is heavily regulated by the Wappapello Dam. Above the dam, the river was at record levels. Very large amounts of water were released by the dam ahead of the record crest to relieve pressure on the dam. The community of Fisk was endangered by the flooding.

Flood in STODDARD, MISSOURI
From 01-MAY-17 23:00:00 to 29-MAY-17 02:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: SHOVER
Flood cause: Planned Dam Release
Property damage: 20.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: River/Stream Gage

Major flooding occurred on the St. Francis River. At the Fisk river gage, the river crested at 26.13 feet on the evening of May 2. This crest was just about one foot below the second highest crest on record, which occurred on May 4, 2011. The river came within a foot or so of overtopping a levee on the left bank. Extensive flooding occurred on the Stoddard County side of the river. The Moccasin Flats area was completely submerged, forcing residents to evacuate by boat. Voluntary evacuations were conducted across the western quarter of the county, including the Puxico, Dudley, and Powe areas. All residents in the Powe area evacuated. Floodwaters endangered the eastbound lanes of Highway 60. The eastbound U.S. Route 60 ramp to Route 51 was closed. Damage to county roads near the river was extensive. State Highway 51 was closed in places around the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.