Flooding causes issues in and around Neosho

According to the Neosho National Fish Hatchery, nearly 5 inches of rain fell on the Neosho region in the past 36 hours, causing flooding in and around town.

Highway 60 out of Neosho to Granby as been closed, as flood waters have overtaken the highway. Flood waters were up to Hickory Creek Corner convenience store earlier Wednesday, but have been backed down a little bit. The store was open this afternoon.

A local farmer, Mark Embrey, who has approximately 40 head of cattle on property on Lime Kiln Road, right off Highway 60, could only watch as his cattle were huddled in a dry piece of land in the corner of his property. Several yards away, water rushed over Lime Kiln Road, and surged near the railroad tracks.

"This is the worst I have ever seen in in my 45 years out here," Embrey said.

Several roads were closed in Neosho, including Spring which typically floods when there is a high amount of rain. Storm sewers caps could be seen floating as water poured out. Big Spring Park looked more like a water park, as water rushed out of the spring over the walking bridge, and several small creeks of water formed on the park property.

On Old Highway 71, near the Undercliff restaurant, the road was blocked off due to flood waters.

"It looks like a lake," said one motorist who turned around after seeing the road closed sign.

"(Flood water) is running strong and hard, but it is in the banks everywhere in town," said Neosho police chief Dave McCracken. "I understand the wastewater plant on Shoal Creek that the water is up to the entrance gate, which is quite a ways from the plant. So, north of town, it got up pretty good.

"In town, we have not had a lot of reports of damage due to floodwaters really yet, but we have a lot of clean up to do."

Neosho Daily News