It’s no secret that Gravois Creek is a volatile waterway that has a history of spilling over its banks and flooding onto Pardee Road and the Whitecliff lower pavilion. On July 28, that was the case once again. Crestwood police notified residents via their tip411 app when the flooding started and then quickly gave the "all clear" via the same app.
This time the creek covered the typical areas around the Whitecliff park entrance, but also covered Watson Industrial Park further upstream. As quickly as the water rose, it came back down – closing roads and the park for less than an hour.
Shortly after the floodwaters started to recede, I walked in from the quarry area down to the lower pavilion. Luckily the quarry area (where construction of a new pavilion is underway), remained high and dry. However, just downstream from that area Mulberry Creek merges into Gravois Creek and the flood area started.
You may recall in previous years when the Crestwood Fire Department was called to the scene to rescue stranded visitors. This is why our firefighters practice swift water rescues and have mapped the creek for pre-planned “pick up” areas for any future emergencies.
Here is a short video I took while visiting the site. To be clear, I waited for the flooding to recede before proceeding to the area and kept far far away from the moving water. The video shows the power of the rushing water and the severity of the flooding that is typical for this area. Parks workers quickly worked the next day to clean up the debris and the pavilion was back in business.