A state lawmaker who represents four rural mid-Missouri counties says this week’s flash flooding and heavy rains have damaged gravel roads in Cooper County.
State Rep. Tim Taylor (R-Speed), who represents Cooper, Chariton, Howard and Randolph counties, tells 939 the Eagle that parts of his district have received more than ten inches of rain in a few days:
“It is needed, much needed. Our corn crops and (soy)bean crops are thankful for it. But I’ll tell you when we get it that fast Brian the county roads really take a hit. The gravel is washed out and we’ve lost a lot of it,” Representative Taylor says.
Representative Taylor says a lot of the gravel has been washed into ditches and creek beds. There is also rock loss. Representative Taylor, a former Columbia firefighter, also says the flash flooding and storm damage has impacted some mail delivery today, for a time:
“Just today there was a (U.S.) postal carrier that was crossing a low water crossing not too far from my house and got stuck. That postal carrier was not the normal one, kind of a substitute and so they just don’t know the roads. So it’s important that people don’t drive these roads in the low water crossings when they have water over them,” Taylor says.
Representative Taylor has spoken to Cooper County presiding commissioner George Monk and says Cooper County will take a financial hit from the storm damage. It’s unclear how much the hit will be. Taylor praises Cooper County road crews for working nonstop, even on the July holiday, to repair the damaged roads:
“There were a couple of fellas who volunteered to come in on the Fourth of July, which is supposed to be their holiday. Just so they could get on those graders and start right away to get the roads passable,” says Taylor.
Representative Taylor says northern parts of Cooper County have received more then ten inches of rain this week, while about six-and-a-half inches of rain have fallen in the southern part of the county.
