The remains of Hurricane Gustav were slow to arrive in east-central Missouri , but the tropical depression didn’t waste any time causing flood problems once it eased into our area.

A flood warning has been posted for Lincoln County , a site that has been profoundly affected by this summer’s Flood of 2008.   The dense moisture of Gustav is beginning to interact with a cold front from northwest Missouri , and the resulting heavy rain is expected to cause an amazing 21-foot rise in the Cuivre River near Troy .  

Late last night, the Cuivre River was just below 10 feet.   By the time the runoff from two days of heavy rain spills into the Cuivre, it will rise to 31 feet by Friday morning…10 feet over flood stage.

According to the National Weather Service, Gustav still has enough punch to produce 2 to 5 inches of rain through Friday, and some isolated areas of central and northeast Missouri could get over 5 inches of rain.   As a result, a flash flood watch is also posted through Friday morning, for the entire Westplex and St. Louis area.