Mo. gov. directs Guard to coordinate flood efforts

St. Louis Public Radio

Published June 8, 2011 at 2:57 PM CDT

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The Missouri National Guard has been called up by Gov. Jay Nixon to assist local police with security after a grand jury decision is announced in the Michael Brown case. Typically, Guard troopers are called in to respond to emergencies, like natural disas — South Dakota National Guard soldiers build temporary ring dikes near in Fort Pierre, S.D., June 4. Water, pushed up from storm drains by the force of the rising Missouri River, was flooding the street and nearby buildings.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has directed the National Guard to coordinate efforts against flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries.

Nixonissued an executive order Wednesday allowing the Missouri National Guard to work with local police and emergency management agencies to ensure that people's homes and property are protected.

Separate task forces will focus on flood preparation and response in the western and eastern halves of the state.

A third Guard task force will focus on flood preparations at Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph and throughout Buchanan County.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to release the largest-ever amounts of water from upstream dams this month to relieve pressure from heavy rains and melting snow in states northwest of Missouri.