Waters from the flooding on the Big Piney River have prompted the closing of J highway

Waters from the flooding on the Big Piney River have prompted the closing of J highway at several stretches in the M-highway junction area in Phelps County. Motorists are being advised to take an alternate route other than the Eastgate into Fort Leonard Wood. The Big Piney crested at 13.6 feet around midnight overnight at the river gauge near the Eastgate. At 4 o’clock this morning, that gauge measured a water depth of 11.2 feet, still more than 3 feet above flood stage. The water level is receding rapidly and the river should be within its banks sometime later this morning. Meanwhile, the flooding is over on Roubidoux Creek in Waynesville. Flood waters reached a depth of 9.33 feet at 4:30 Tuesday afternoon at the gauge just south of Waynesville. That’s a little over two feet above the flood stage. This morning at 4:30, that gauge measured water depth at 4.61 feet.