May 8, 2002
On May 9, the St. Francis River rose to 25.6 feet at Patterson, where flood stage is 16 feet. A second higher crest occurred on May 13, when the river crested at 31.1 feet. Downriver at Fisk, the river rose about a foot above the 20-foot flood stage on May 18. There was extensive flooding of woods and fields around Patterson. The source of the St. Francis River is at Wappapello Dam. In order to mitigate flooding on the St. Francis River, Lake Wappapello was allowed to rise to its second highest
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5295789). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Wayne County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.