This year, March 17 marked the beginning of Flood Safety Awareness Week, according to the National Weather Service. For residents in parts of Missouri, Arkansas and other areas in the Midwest, it also marked the beginning of storms that caused devastating floods, displacing thousands from their homes and claiming 17 lives.
For the next several days, members of the St. Louis Missouri North and South stakes rallied with residents in Fenton, Arnold and Valley Park in efforts to protect homes and businesses against the rising Meramec River.
On March 20, after days of rain, Mayor Dennis Hancock of Fenton issued a plea for volunteers to save buildings in the older part of town. Thirty missionaries, gathered at a nearby zone conference, hurried to help Fenton residents sandbag homes and barricade electrical substations and other buildings directly in the path of the flood.
The following day, brown water began entering the streets of Valley Park. Church member Bob Hohman closed his business for the day to transport the 30 missionaries to Valley Park. In yellow Mormon Helping Hands T-shirts, Church members and missionaries worked into the night alongside residents, fire and police personnel and the U.S. Coast Guard protecting homes and constructing a 200-foot-wide levee to contain a leak in an embankment near a Valley Park school.
As conditions worsened, Arnold became the third city to request help against the oncoming disaster. On Saturday, Brother Hohman ferried missionaries to the area where they joined locals in sandbagging dozens of homes.
By Saturday afternoon, water levels had crested in Fenton and Valley Park. The 200-foot levee eventually gave way, but held long enough for pumps to be installed. Mayor Hancock said the sandbags had effectively held in Fenton, avoiding serious damage.
Great appreciation was expressed for the people in the yellow shirts. One resident was so touched by the help she received from the missionaries that she accepted an invitation for her and her children to attend St. Louis Missouri South Stake conference on Easter Sunday. — Chris Morales