2011 Branson, MO Flooding

It’s been really hard to concentrate on work this past week because every time I look out the window Table Rock Lake inches closer and closer to my condo.  Luckily, there’s no major fear of flooding for me since our building is on a slight elevation, and I live on the second floor, but many of my fellow Branson and Hollister, Missouri residents have not been so fortunate.  Several areas have been evacuated, and it’s still going to be another day or two until the waters actually crest.

The rains finally subsided somewhat today for the first time in about a week.  I grabbed my camera and headed out to take a few pictures of the high waters.  The scene was all too familiar.  In 2008, we experienced a similar flood.  As was the case back then, they have opened up the flood gates at the Table Rock Lake Dam.  I read a statistic in the local newspaper that said the amount of water being let out is equivalent to an Olympic-sized swimming pool being released every three seconds.

Unfortunately, this huge influx of water into Lake Taneycomo is spilling into neighborhoods.  Today, I saw some homes were already a few feet underwater.  Others were only hours away from having their bottom floors flooded.  People were trying to salvage what personal belongings they could by filling up moving company trucks as fast as possible.

From tornadoes to flooding, Missouri seems to be struggling with a lot here lately. During my prior experiences as a disaster relief volunteer, I’ve seen firsthand how resilient the people of our great nation are, and I’m confident that our communities will pull together again in the face of these challenges.  My heart goes out to everyone affected by this latest string of natural disasters.

Photo below was taken from the scenic overlook on Hwy 165.  Shows the water being released from Table Rock Lake into Lake Taneycomo.  In the middle you can see the water only few feet from one structure, and near the top right corner you can see the Showboat Branson Belle on Table Rock Lake.

As seen in the two photos below, Lake Taneycomo is flooding parts of the Branson Landing.  The fountains, boardwalk, and parts of the parking garages are currently underwater.  Several of the areas near here have homes and business that have been evacuated.

UPDATE: Click HERE to view additional photos taken the following day (April 27, 2011) showing some of the affected homes and businesses, as well as, other damage.