There have been at least five levee breaches along the Black River in Butler County, which is expected to crest again at 19 feet on Friday.
This takes into account discharge and rainfall predictions of approximately 1.5 inches at Clearwater Lake, said Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Robbie Myers.
The Black River was at 18.09 feet as of 9:15 a.m., more than two feet above flood stage.
Clearwater Lake has seen a historic crest topping 567 feet and crossing the overflow spillway for the first time.
Current information indicates the lake did crest this morning, said project manager Randy Devenport, but the exact height is still being determined. There is a discrepancy in the information being reported by the gauges, but the crest is expected to be lower than the 568.3 previously projected, he said.
A shelter remains open at the Black River Coliseum for people displaced by the flood. It held 108 residents overnight, many from south Poplar Bluff and south Butler County. There were also residents of Carter and Ripley counties, Myers said, as the communities come together to deal with historic flooding.
Two levee breaks have occurred near Coon Island in south Butler County, another west of County Road 605 and others near county roads 607 and 202, said Butler County Presiding Commissioner Vince Lampe.
It is difficult to determine exactly how many breaks there are and how bad they are, Lampe said. Commissioners and county personnel have spent the last several days monitoring the levees, but high water makes it difficult to get to some areas, he said.
A break near County Road 202 started at about 30 feet wide and had grown to 140 feet wide by Tuesday afternoon. The width of breaks are expected to continue to grow as long as water is flowing through.
Officials say where rainfall occurs and how much is seen overnight into Thursday will determine how much longer flooding occurs and how much worse it could get.
A donation center has been established at 621 W. Pine, previously home to Doctor's Hospital and near Kneibert Clinic. Donations can be brought to the emergency entrance between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. today and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Clean up items are needed for recovery efforts, said Jeff Shawan, with the Red Cross. This includes new box fans, bleach, blankets, kitchen gloves, toilet tissue, buckets, mops and dishwashing liquid.
Donations will be distributed Friday and Saturday from the same location to affected residents from Butler and Ripley counties, said AmeriCorps Director Rebecca Winters. AmeriCorps volunteers are helping run the center.
Residents will need identification or mail with an address from an affected address, Winters said. Maps of the affected areas have been provided to AmeriCorps by officials.
Hygiene kits will also be distributed, but no donations for this are needed, she said.
(DAR reporter Chelsae Cordia contributed to this report.)