© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

How The Flood Of 1993 Impacted And Changed North Jefferson City, Rhineland

It's been twenty years since the Great Flood of '93 swelled the Missouri River to record-high crests.  Since then, levees have been upgraded, flood preparations improved, and in a few places, communities bought out and relocated.  St. Louis Public Radio's Marshall Griffin visited some sites along the river in central Missouri and talked to people who battled the flood waters in 1993, and who still keep an eye on the river today:

Flood of '93 in central Mo.

Flooding damages north Jefferson City & triggers buyout of Cedar City

The Missouri River flooded homes, businesses and highways across the Show-Me State’s midsection during the summer of '93.  On July 30th, the river crested at more than 15 feet above flood stage at Jefferson City.  Flood waters stripped chunks of concrete from the Highway 54/63 interchange on the north side of the river, and water nearly reached the ceiling inside Jefferson City's airport.  Jud Kneuvean has worked for the Army Corps of Engineers for more than 20 years, and was here for the '93 flood.  He says the tiny community of Cedar City, which had merged with Jeff City four years before the flood, was completely submerged.

"Cedar City, following the flood, FEMA came in and bought out the community…so what we see over there, the streets and stuff are remnants of 1993, and the few homes that exist were people that didn't sell their homes…but for the most part that community is gone."

Cedar City now mostly consists of parks and businesses.  Those companies, and the few homes that are still occupied, have to comply with flood plain regulations.

Rhineland, Mo., moves out of the floodplain after '93 flood

Another community further down the Missouri river also had to move.  The unincorporated village of Rhineland was deluged three times during the summer of '93, which led residents there to accept a FEMA buyout.  SteveWehrle is Rhineland's Chairman of the Board, but back then, he owned the local restaurant and tavern.

"Itput us out of business for probably a month…we also had...our house was down there (in the flood plain), too, and it had three (feet) of water in it, too."

Most of Rhineland was moved to a bluff overlooking the old town site. Wehrlesays he had his house moved uphill, as did several other residents, while some built new homes on the bluff.  Some parts of Rhineland are still in the flood plain, including a ballpark, a few businesses and the Volunteer Fire Department.

The levee that guarded the village failed in 1993.  It’s since been rebuilt and redesigned to prevent breaches and limit where overtopping can occur.  JohnNoltensmeyerserves as head of both the Rhineland Volunteer Fire Department and the Tri-County Levee District.

"It's designed now to overtop on what we call the lower end of the district, and fill in backwards, so that we’ve got just a big 7,000-acre standing pool of water rather than a piece of the channel, the Missouri River, coming through."

Interest in federal levee fizzles in Jefferson City

The levees across from Jefferson City were also rebuilt, but to the same 30-foot height that they were during the '93 flood.  JudKneuveanwith the Corps of Engineers says at the time there were serious discussions about building a federal levee that would have been 38 feet high, but that city officials lost interest:

"Once youkindaget everything back to normal, and you get the highways back to normal and things seem to be moving in a productive manner, the interest, and looking towards the future, kind of falls off…that's not a dig on anyone, that’s just the way it works."

In response, Jefferson City Administrator NathanNickolaussays the federal buyout of old Cedar City largely dampened any desire by city officials to help foot the bill for a federal levee.

Cooperation following the '93 flood

Meanwhile,Kneuveansays the Corps of Engineers has worked harder over the past 20 years to improve cooperation with other agencies.  That includes providing up-to-date flood data to the National Weather Service.

"It'simportant for them to know if a levee overtopped and failed, because that affects their forecast on the river," Kneuvean said.

Kneuvean also says the Corps puts more emphasis on flood prep by conducting a spring flood assessment every January.  He adds that they've also worked harder to offer assistance and training to state and local officials in Missouri.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2021 St. Louis Public Radio. To see more, visit St. Louis Public Radio.

MoDOT /
Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio /
Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio /
Marshall Griffin/St. Louis Public Radio /

Missouri Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a proud alumnus of the University of Mississippi (a.k.a., Ole Miss), and has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off the old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Mason, and their cat, Honey.
Marshall Griffin
St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.
Related Content