We’ve all seen how the River Des Peres is eating south St. Louis, but what’s happening downtown at the riverfront might be even more insane. With flood waters expected to crest tomorrow evening, the Mississippi River is crazy-high. We stopped by this morning to check it out and it was just shocking.
The river has swollen and expanded to the point that more than half of the steps leading up to the Gateway Arch are underwater. And it’s not just the historic cobblestone edging that has slipped below the surface — in this section of downtown, all of N. Leonor K Sullivan Boulevard has been drowned, too, along with its wide sidewalks.
From a distance the river is up so high that it looks like it’s almost even with the land at the Arch grounds. Boats have been lifted tens of feet and the water levels are much closer to the bottoms of bridges than normal.
Up close the surface of the Mississippi looks fairly peaceful, but it’s all a lie. There is a low, powerful rumble echoing off of the water downtown that gives away her deep power. Stay safe, St. Louis
Photos by Jaime Lees
