National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

“Everyone along the Black River and tributaries downstream of the Tom Sauk Lake Dam is encouraged to pay heed to future warnings and statements from the NOAA National Weather Service to keep themselves safe from potential flood waters,” said Noreen Schwein, water program meteorologist at National Weather Service Central Region headquarters in Kansas City, Mo.

The St. Louis Weather Forecast office issued the flood and flash flood warnings following failure of the dam at about 6:24 a.m. CT, emphasizing that small creeks and streams, country roads and farmland would be flooded. Forecasters said water would rise rapidly to as much as 20 feet deep along the Black River, well above flood stage. The flood warning stressed the presence of a “dangerous and life-threatening situation,” urging residents to “move to high ground immediately.” Warnings stated the flood crest would move downstream on the Black River at about 3 mph.  

The Upper Tom Sauk Lake Dam is part of the Taum Sauk Hydroelectric Storage Plant owned by St. Louis-based the AmerenUE utility company. The company said the breach occurred at the northwest corner of the dam that retains about 1.5 billion gallons of water from the Black River.