The Great Flood of 1973

When the River Des Peres flooded the Lemay area during the spring of 1973, it was the worst flood disaster in the history of St. Louis County. The excessive water that caused this great flood was not due to major rain storms in Missouri. Newspaper articles from 1973 reported the issue causing this flood started in Mississippi/Louisiana where the Mississippi River had risen to 36.3 feet. Because the river had swollen at the southern leg, water flowing downstream in March backed-up at St. Louis and entered the smaller River Des Peres channel, pushing over its banks and forcing 200 Lemay families to leave their homes. Additionally, hundreds of acres of parkland were inundated with floodwater and some 22 miles of County roads were destroyed. The Missouri National Guard from Jefferson Barracks provided valuable assistance and support which included truckloads of sand necessary to fill the many sandbags prepared by the volunteers. All operations were coordinated through a County flood command post established in a trailer in the heart of the threatened Lemay area.

The St. Louis County Police, as well as other Departments of County Government, played active roles in flood relief operations. Police officers patrolled the area using patrol cars and by small boat 24 hours a day, protecting abandoned homes from possible looting and providing transportation to flood victims moving household items to higher ground. County Police helicopters also provided officials of the U.S. Corps of Engineers with an aerial view of the water movement and disaster area. One retired County police officer, who was assigned to the flood emergency, remembered clearly the 24/7 presence of the Salvation Army with their food to support relief workers and first responders. The Office of the Historian has for viewing several vintage photographs from the 1973 Lemay flood. One interesting photo is of two County police officers patrolling the Lemay flood area in a “Jon boat.” Attempts to identify the police officers in the outboard motor boat (with the hand-painted POLICE sign) did not result in a positive identification. Several police retirees offered eight different names as a possibility, but there was no positive identification. One retiree reported the Jon boat came from the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office in July 1955 when all of their law enforcement equipment and vehicles were transferred to the newly formed County Police.

Another retiree believes the boat was loaned by a Lemay resident or a County police officer who enjoyed fishing during his free time. The Historian was unable to locate any record or evidence the County Police ever owned the small flat bottom boat used during the great flood of 1973. Any information about the two officers, the boat, or the 1973 flood would be appreciated.

Source: St. Louis County 1973 Annual Report; Interviews with County Police retirees; Newspapers.com