Flood waters finally recede

More heavy rains last week forced the Platte River and Missouri River to minor and/or moderate flood stages, wreaking havoc on land located near the swollen banks.The City of Parkville closed English Landing Park on Friday, June 5 before reopening it Monday morning. No downtown businesses were affected. A portion of Route E east of Camden Point between Routes B and DD also briefly closed on Friday due to the flash flooding in the area during heavy storms that lasted most of the day. According to National Weather Service (NWS) data, the Platte River reached 31.42 feet at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 6 at Sharp’s Station but fell back below flood stage early Monday afternoon and was at 18.28 feet as of Tuesday afternoon — well below the 26-foot minor flood stage. Measurements near Tracy, Mo. showed the Platte River still in the minor flood stage on Monday afternoon after cresting at 25.75 feet at 5:56 p.m. on June 6. As of Tuesday afternoon, that level was at 12.85 feet. Minor flood stage at Tracy is considered 20 feet. The Missouri River at Leavenworth, Kan., was in the minor flood stage over the weekend, cresting at 20.88 feet but was down to less than 15 feet by Monday afternoon. The NWS does not supply information for the Missouri River near Parkville. Flood conditions have plagued the area for about a month due to consistent rainfall. The weather finally dried up during the past weekend as temperatures started to approach the 90s after a mild start to the summer months. The next best chances for rain were for the weekend (June 12-14).