Jackson County, Missouri, officials urged an evacuation of the town of Levasy on Saturday after a levee broke leaving parts of the town under water.
The town of 80 people is about 25 miles east of Kansas City, along the Missouri River.
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol conducted water rescues as the river continued to rise. No injuries were reported.
“The individuals were prepared, they were ready, they just couldn’t get out of their homes because of high water,” said Deputy Raashid Brown, public information office for the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. “But we were able to get everyone to a safe place.”
Residents said it was the worst flooding in the town in several years. They were anxiously watching another levee to the east of town, which had also partially breached.
“A lot of people are just trying to make sure people are getting out,” said Erin Dieckmann, who has lived in the town for 12 years. “People are hanging in there, strapping stuff down, moving stuff up … making sure elderly are taking care of, that type of thing.”
Brown said the sheriff’s office would continue to monitor the situation over the next 24 hours. Access to the town is now restricted to residents and emergency personnel.
Samuel King is the Missouri government and politics reporter at KCUR 89.3. Follow him on Twitter: @SamuelKingNews
