Louisiana Archives - Missourinet

Missouri public utility crews working to restore power in Louisiana, after Hurricane Delta

October 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

14 lineworkers representing four rural Missouri hometown public utilities worked throughout the weekend to help restore power in hurricane-damaged Louisiana. CNN reports about 320,000 Louisiana residents are without electricity, because of Hurricane Delta.

Linemen from western Missouri’s Harrisonville stop for a quick picture, before leaving for Louisiana on October 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of city of Harrisonville)

Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) spokesman Kerry Cordray says the lineworkers are working in difficult conditions.

“But these guys are great at what they do, and they’re very dedicated to doing their work well, wherever they’re doing it,” Cordray says.

The MPUA crews are from four Missouri municipal utilities: Harrisonville, Nixa, Palmyra and Poplar Bluff. They’re working in Alexandria, which is northwest of New Orleans. Cordray tells Missourinet the damage in Alexandria wasn’t as big as it was for Hurricane Laura six weeks ago.

“If there are still outages in nearby public power communities when restoration at Alexandria is complete, the crews may be made available to another location before coming home,” he says.

Harrisonville is located south of Kansas City, while Nixa is south of Springfield. Palmyra is in northeast Missouri, and Poplar Bluff is in southeast Missouri. Cordray says the four towns have “public power” electric utilities and are part of MPUA.

“These public power utilities (MPUA) are as large as Springfield, Columbia, Independence, but include many smaller towns and rural communities, some with only a few hundred residents,” says Cordray.

MPUA has 79 Missouri members that provide electricity. The Missouri crews in Alexandria are equipped with four bucket trucks, another specialty truck and other linework vehicles and machines.

The town of Alexandria, Louisiana issued a call to the MPUA for mutual aid assistance, which is coordinated through MPUA’s mutual aid network. Towns that assist are reimbursed by the municipal utilities receiving assistance.

Cordray also notes last week was public power week.

14 lineworkers from four Missouri towns heading to Louisiana, because of Hurricane Delta

October 8, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Hometown electric line crews from four rural Missouri towns are driving to Louisiana on this Thursday evening. They’ll perform recovery work after Hurricane Delta hits.

Linemen from western Missouri’s Harrisonville stop for a quick picture, before leaving for Louisiana in the early-morning hours of October 8, 2020 (photo courtesy of city of Harrisonville)

The Weather Channel reports hurricane warnings have been issued for much of southwest Louisiana, which was hammered by Hurricane Laura several weeks ago. Governor John Bel Edwards says Hurricane Laura destroyed 10,000 homes and caused major damage to 35,000 others. The governor says the electrical infrastructure in southwest Louisiana is still being repaired, from Laura.

Hurricane Delta is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges to the Gulf coast.

The Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) says the Missouri crews heading to Louisiana are from Harrisonville, Nixa, Palmyra and Poplar Bluff. Harrisonville is south of Kansas City, while Nixa is located south of Springfield. Palmyra is in northeast Missouri, and Poplar Bluff is in southeast Missouri.

The four towns have public power utilities.

The Missouri line workers will respond to power outages once the storm passes. The town of Alexandria, Louisiana issued a call to the MPUA for mutual aid assistance.

The four Missouri towns are sending a combined 14 lineworkers. They will stage in Alexandria and are equipped with four bucket trucks, another specialty truck and other linework vehicles and machines.

Alexandria, which is northwest of New Orleans, is Louisiana’s ninth-largest city.

The National Hurricane Center expects Delta to reach southwest Louisiana on Friday morning, and move inland on Friday and Saturday.

In August and September, 24 Missouri lineworkers representing six other Missouri hometown utilities assisted Alexandria, following Hurricane Laura.

The mutual aid assistance is coordinated through MPUA’s mutual aid network, and assisting towns are reimbursed by the municipal utilities receiving assistance.

Utility crews from six Missouri towns are working to restore power in Louisiana (AUDIO)

August 27, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Forecasters are saying that Hurricane Laura is the most powerful hurricane to hit the state of Louisiana in 150 years. The “New Orleans Times-Picayune” reports the storm made landfall as a category four storm, bringing strong winds and a crashing storm surge.

Hurricane Laura made landfall as a category four storm. It damaged the Tiger Stop gas station in Alexandria, Louisiana, which is northwest of New Orleans (photo courtesy of Alexandria’s Facebook page)

The Missouri Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) says hometown utility crews from six Missouri towns are in Alexandria, Louisiana this afternoon. They are staging there and are working to clear roads and to restore power.

“These are public power utilities,” MPUA spokesman Kerry Cordray says. “These are hometown utilities that are part of the Missouri Public Utility Alliance’s mutual aid network.”

Mr. Cordray says the utility crews working in Louisiana are from Hannibal, Harrisonville, Higginsville, Macon, Nixa and Rolla. 24 lineworkers are in Alexandria, which is a city of about 47,000 residents.

Alexandria, which is northwest of New Orleans, is Louisiana’s ninth-largest city. Cordray says the Missouri lineworkers are in difficult conditions.

“Even just getting access to the areas, you know, lots of roads have to be cleared, they have to be careful for flooding to make sure their safety is absolutely first,” says Cordray.

The six Missouri towns with lineworkers in Louisiana have “public power” electric utilities.

Hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents remain without power.

“They (lineworkers) roll out, equipped and ready to hit the road and assist the local utility to get poles back up and lines back up,” Cordray says.

He says the Missouri crews have lots of equipment and vehicles.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with Missoui Public Utility Alliance (MPUA) spokesman Kerry Cordray, which was recorded on August 27, 2020:

Winter weather advisories and flood watch in effect for different parts of Missouri (AUDIO)

February 12, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A winter weather advisory remains in effect for west-central, central and northeast Missouri until midnight. Far northwest Missouri, the Ozarks and southeast Missouri’s Bootheel are not included in the winter weather advisory.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter weather advisory for west-central, mid and northeast Missouri (February 12, 2020 map courtesy of NWS Pleasant Hill Twitter page)

Cities and towns in the impacted advisory areas include Sedalia, Marshall, Columbia, Jefferson City and Hannibal. National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair says light to moderate snow has been falling in those areas.

“And that corridor is going to be under the gun for accumulating snowfall, with a lot of wet, slushy snowfall accumulating up to two to four inches by the time all is said and done later on this evening,” Blair says.

Blair tells Missourinet snow totals will be higher on elevated and grassy surfaces. He’s urging motorists in the advisory areas to avoid the roads, if possible.

“But if you do have to venture out, reduce your speed, use those headlights and take extra precautions as you’re driving,” says Blair.

Northeast Missouri’s Hannibal and Louisiana could see up to four inches of snow.

Blair is urging mid-Missourians to have extra coats, hats and gloves on-hand, with frigid Arctic air coming in behind the snowfall. He says the temperatures will quickly fall.

“After the snow does move out later on tonight, we’re going to be looking at some bitterly cold temperatures moving in with temperatures dropping down potentially into the single digits across portions of central Missouri,” Blair says.

Meantime, heavy rain is the biggest issue in southern Missouri. The NWS Springfield office says West Plains, Sikeston and Dexter are under a flood watch, and ponding of roadways is possible.

Click here to listen to the full interview between Missourinet’s Brian Hauswirth and National Weather Service (NWS) Pleasant Hill meteorologist Scott Blair, which was recorded on February 12, 2020:

Riggs: “It’s all hands on deck” in northeast Missouri; major flooding to continue (AUDIO)

June 3, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis warns that major flooding is expected to continue in northeast Missouri for the next one to two weeks.

The National Guard’s 35th Brigade has been assisting along the Mississippi River in northeast Missouri’s Clarksville (May 31, 2019 photo courtesy of Missouri National Guard Twitter Page and Sgt. Christy Van Drunen)

State Rep. Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, tells Missourinet volunteers are still needed to sandbag in Hannibal and Quincy.

“Another nice thing is seeing how many families are getting out there, I mean little kids, five, six, seven years old, pitching in,” Riggs says.

He says it’s “all hands on deck” in the Hannibal area and across northeast Missouri. Riggs praises the volunteers, saying they have filled hundreds of thousands of sandbags.

The NWS says the Mississippi River crested on Sunday in Hannibal, Louisiana and Clarksville. The Mississippi crested at Hannibal at about 30 feet.

Riggs says levees across northeast Missouri are saturated.

“The power of the (Mississippi) River. We’ve been at flood stage in this area since March 15th,” says Riggs.

Riggs says the weather pattern has been “horrible.” He says the weather pattern reminds him of 1993, the year of the Great Flood.

The NWS says there’s a slight risk of severe weather across northeast Missouri on Tuesday.

As he did during a Thursday interview, Riggs is asking for prayers for those impacted. He tells Missourinet “the power of prayer” is working, saying there have been miracles in the Fabius River Drainage District area.

He says Highways 61 and 24 in that area are still open.

Riggs represents Marion, Monroe and Shelby Counties in the Missouri House. All three counties are rural, with a large agricultural presence.

Closer to St. Louis, the NWS confirms there has been a breach in the Pin Oaks levee near the small town of Winfield, north of St. Charles.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with State Rep. Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, which was recorded on June 2, 2019:

Inmates sandbagging again in northeast Missouri’s Clarksville; Mississippi River to crest there Sunday

May 3, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

(Missourinet Quincy affiliate WGEM and Louisiana affiliate KJFM contributed to this story)

The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis says the Mississippi River at northeast Missouri’s Hannibal is cresting today at about 28.4 feet.

The Mississippi River in northeast Missouri’s Clarksville (file photo courtesy of Clarksville city website)

Missourinet Quincy affiliate WGEM reports about 80 volunteers are back in Hannibal today, filling sandbags for the community and for the Hannibal levee.

Resident Shane Bramblett tells WGEM it’s a community effort.

“So we’re just trying to fill some sand bags to help support levees. We’re probably adding one (to) about two feet to levees right now, so Hannibal, we’ve got a lot of sandbags to fill so we’re trying to get as much support as we can,” Bramblett says.

Marion County highway crews have also brought sandbags to Hannibal to assist in the effort.

Meantime, massive flooding in northeast Missouri’s Clarksville has prompted the state Department of Corrections (DOC) to send more than two dozen inmates to help sandbag in the river town.

DOC spokeswoman Karen Pojmann tells Missourinet that 25 female offenders from the Vandalia prison are currently sandbagging in Clarksville.

The NWS in St. Louis says the Mississippi River at Clarksville is expected to crest at 36.2 feet on Sunday.

Clarksville is a town of about 450 residents.

Missourinet Louisiana affiliate KJFM Radio reports Highway 79 in closed in numerous locations in Louisiana, Clarksville and Elsberry. KJFM also reports Highway 54 at the Champ Clark bridge near Louisiana is also closed.

The flooding is also impacting mail service across northeast Missouri.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) says post offices in La Grange and Clarksville have temporarily closed, due to flooding.

The USPS says mail service in La Grange is temporarily being rerouted to Canton, while mail service in Clarksville is temporarily being rerouted to Louisiana.

Lousiana, MO child’s death stirs national attention

November 9, 2013 By Mike Lear

National news outlets have picked up the story of a man police used a Taser on to prevent him from trying to rescue his 3-year-old stepson from a burning home in the Mississippi River town of Louisiana. Riley Miller died in the fire on the morning of Halloween.

The father, Ryan Miller, tried to enter the home after the rest of his family had escaped the fire but officials tried to stop him, saying it was too dangerous. When he did not cooperate Louisiana police used a Taser on him three times.

The City’s administrator says he’s investigating the fire and whether police and fire departments acted appropriately.