Flash flooding possible as heavy rain moves in

Locally up to five inches of rain will be possible between Thursday and Saturday, raising the concern of flash flooding, according to information shared Tuesday afternoon during a meeting between Poplar Bluff and Butler County authorities.

The meeting included a phone conference with members of the National Weather Service.

“The main thing will be those low lying areas and flash flooding, more so than prolonged river flooding,” said Butler County Emergency Management Agency Director Robbie Myers. “Looking at everything else, the river stages are low, so we shouldn’t have any problem there, any time soon at least.”

The bulk of the heavy rain looks to occur Friday night into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

“We continue to monitor a very unsettled period of weather later this week into the first part of the weekend,” the NWS reports. “Depending on the exact track of the system, the threat for severe thunderstorms could also sneak northward into portions of our region on Saturday.”

Myers cautioned residents not to drive across standing water in low lying areas, where hidden currents could sweep away vehicles.

“Most of our fatalities during flooding, is people driving in areas where they think it is safe,” he said. “Any time you come across water across the road, turn around don’t drown.”