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Residents press Jefferson County for creek maintenance, disaster aid after repeated flooding
Summary
Multiple residents told the County Council that repeated floods and a recent tornado have damaged homes and left families displaced; speakers urged creek maintenance, buyouts and county support.
Several residents from House Springs and Spring Glen told the Jefferson County Council on March 24 that repeated flooding along Hedge Creek and Born Creek has damaged homes and vehicles and left families with heavy losses.
At public comment, Beverly Moore, William Blackwell and Michael Havey described floods on July 4, 2024 and Nov. 5, 2024. Moore said her house suffered "4 feet of water" on Nov. 5 and that she was “rescued by boat.” She said flood insurance covered structure only, leaving most personal property unrecoverable and that residents now sleep in shifts and fear rain because they worry the creek will rise again. Blackwell pointed to a large gravel bar in Hedge Creek that he said reduced the creek’s capacity and asked whether county-owned access could be used to remove it. Havey described repeated damage to a shared well, lawn equipment and that he sold his home in February 2025 for $23,000 less than he paid because of the flood risk.
Several council members and the county executive acknowledged the storm and flood damage. Councilman Grodeky announced a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) for tornado victims scheduled for Monday, March 31 at the City of Arnold Recreation Center at 1695 Missouri State Road, Arnold, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. County Executive Dennis Gannon said county social media and emergency management posts contained resources and that a statewide coordinating organization (COAD) had been consulted.
Other public-comment items included water-theft concerns raised by Jean (Gene) Barbagallo, vice president on a local water-district board. Barbagallo said tankers filling from distribution points could create unaccounted losses and urged residents to report suspected tanker fills to their water district.
Why this matters
Repeated creek flooding and tornado damage affect residents’ safety, housing stability and local infrastructure. Speakers urged the county to examine creek maintenance, property‑acquisition options (buyouts), and coordinated disaster assistance. Council members signaled staff follow-up: the MARC will offer multi‑agency assistance March 31, and council work sessions were scheduled to examine longer-term policy changes such as UDO updates and drainage standards.
Provenance: transcript excerpts supporting this report appear below.
