Residents watch, wait but not really worry as Mississippi River floods

March 30-- Mar. 30--As moderate flooding besets the Mississippi River around La Crosse, those living nearby prepare and wait.

The river is expected to reach a crest of between 14.5 and 15.5 feet by Wednesday or Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. That's not quite a 100-year flood -- a flood that has a one percent chance of happening in any given year -- but it still makes the top-10 list for record crests.

To get ready, the city of La Crosse is out building temporary berms, while residents living in flood-prone areas prepare and go on with their daily lives.

"This (berm) is the critical one," the first of several that the city plans to build, said Randy Carl, of the La Crosse street department, who was building the tail end of a berm on St. Cloud Street.

Crews started working on the berm Thursday, Carl said. It will be about 550 feet long when completed. It starts off 5.5 feet high and curves from the banks of the Black River through the field adjacent to Hydrite Chemicals to St. Cloud Street, where it tapers down to 3.5 feet.

The berm is designed to be 2 feet higher than the maximum height of the water, said city engineer Robert Haines, who came by to look at how much water was on the road. "That's why it looks so dog-dang high."

The stretch of Copeland Park Drive between the Clinton Street and the ballpark, as well as parts of the Hydrite Chemical facility, have a one percent annual chance of flooding. Already, parts of Copeland Park Drive were covered with water, including the middle section where the stormwater drain sits.

Given the expected flooding, Haines said he'd have to postpone contract work on the courtyard outside the Loggers ball park entrance that had been scheduled for next week.

"Most of this road will probably be under water, but not too deep," Haines said as he snapped a photo to send to the contractor.

Across the river in La Crescent, after water flooded out the road, residents on Shore Acres Road have been using an emergency overpass that crosses the railroad tracks to get home.

A few houses have had their driveways or front lawns swallowed by the river.

The city held a special information session to prepare Shore Acres Road residents for the flood. Most of the information was what residents already knew, said resident Jim Moore, a long-time resident whose property is fast resembling a peninsula, but it was still good to hear.

The city said they wouldn't cut power, for example, unless the water began to cover the gas meters, Moore said.

Moore filled 18 sandbags to line his garage doors, though he doesn't expect water to reach his house unless the flood of 1965 repeats itself.

Nevertheless, he said he and his wife returned from Texas a week early to get their house ready. He's already moved the snowblower and lawn mower out of the shed, which is standing in what looks like a pond.

"It's got to get to 17, 18 feet before I get worried," Moore said. He added that he was more concerned about people taking their motorboats on the water and causing wakes during the crest, as well as cleaning out all the mud the water leaves behind.

"I'll just wait and watch," Moore said. "I don't get too excited. You can't stop Mother Nature, as they say. You just hope she cooperates."

Mary and Tom Poellinger, who live farther down the road, were out doing yard work, despite the river in their backyard and a flooded basement. Tom had dismantled the basement door and left it propped outside against the side of the house.

"We're not really worried about the flood," Mary said as they cleaned out the asparagus beds in the front yard.

Although they don't have flood insurance, Tom said he wasn't concerned about their flooded basement, which they keep empty, because it's made of concrete blocks.

He'll clean out the muck with a pressure washer once the water subsides, he said.

"I guess it's the price you pay for living along the river," Mary said.

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Jennifer Lu is the La Crosse Tribune environmental reporter. You can reach her by phone at 608-791-8217 and by email jennifer.lu@lee.net.

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