The “historic” Meramec River Basin Flood of 2015

Abstract:

The Meramec River Basin in Missouri, USA, experienced its most extreme flood in recorded history during late December, 2015. An exceptionally high rainfall event during a relatively warm winter led to river stage elevations and river discharge that exceeded the previous storm of record in several locations. While some have suggested that human management of the rivers and waterways was the cause of this extreme event, others have pointed to the extreme precipitation that occurred. The spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall and the response of the Meramec River are examined to both describe the nature of this flood event, and evaluate the likely causes for its severity.