Photos From the Great Flood of '93 in St. Louis

By Rosalind Early and Jaime Lees on Wed, Aug 9, 2023 at 1:01 pm

Our cover package this week looks back on the Great Flood of '93 in St. Louis.

Dig into our coverage to see a timeline of events, to read a personal account from someone who witnessed the devastation and to learn how a local televangelist stepped up to offered free land, telethons and more.

This collection of photos from the flood show how high the water got and just how much damage was left when it receded.

Related

The Great Flood of 1993 left a large swath of St. Louis underwater.

How the Great Flood of 1993 Deluged St. Louis: "It was like Noah's flood," says Rev. Larry Rice of the summer's rising waters

Tags:

Scroll down to view images

In Chesterfield, people head out to see the floodwaters after the Monarch Levee fails.

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

In Chesterfield, people head out to see the floodwaters after the Monarch Levee fails.

1 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

People in St. Charles sandbag to try to stop the floodwaters.

2 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

More northern cities and states were flooded before Missouri. Here, Iowa residents prepare to evacuate.

3 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

The Coast Guard in Ste. Genevieve helping with sandbagging efforts.

4 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

An aerial view of the Mississippi flooding in early July.

5 of 20

Volunteers gather supplies for flood victims in Alton, Illinois.

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A man stacks cans of water for those in need.

6 of 20

LIZ ROLL/FEMA PHOTO

LIZ ROLL/FEMA PHOTO

The floodwaters in Grafton, Illinois.

7 of 20

SGT. PAUL GRIFFIN

SGT. PAUL GRIFFIN

Federal agencies, including the Army, descended on St. Louis to help.

8 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A man helps with sandbagging efforts in St. Charles.

9 of 20

A kid sits atop sandbags in St. Charles.

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A kid sits atop sandbags in St. Charles.

10 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A submerged sign shows the depths of the flood waters.

11 of 20

SGT. PAUL GRIFFIN

SGT. PAUL GRIFFIN

A levee break in Kaskaskia, Illinois, destroyed much of the town. This is an aerial view of the aftermath.

12 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

An airplane from Chesterfield Airport in the waters after Chesterfield floods.

13 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

Livestock also had to be rescued from the rising waters.

14 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A FEMA photo of the floods in the Midwest in 1993.

15 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

Emergency workers navigate floodwaters in Ste. Genevieve.

16 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A woman outside of Kansas City, Missouri, starts cleaning up after the floodwaters recede.

17 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

A man surveys the flood damage.

18 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

Bill Clinton, left, visited St. Louis twice during the Great Flood of 1993.

19 of 20

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

ANDREA BOOHER/FEMA PHOTO

The flood started out small, but would eventually be lapping at the foot of the Arch.

20 of 20