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School canceled in Pacific, kids and adults bagging sand instead

Residents in Pacific preparing for Meramec river to crest Friday.

PACIFIC, Mo. — Downtown Pacific isn't a big place, but the people in the community know how to come together.

On Thursday, you couldn't miss the illuminated flood warning sign. A team of people working rapidly filled sand bags, including children due to school cancellations.

By Thursday afternoon, Pacific Mayor Heather Filley says volunteers and employees have filled over 10,000 bags. Filley and her residents are preparing for Friday's river crest.

"We can guess where things are going to be, what roads are going to close, what houses are going to flood but mother nature controls what she does and she changes that all the time," she said.

The forecast has changed a few times. From a forecast of 28 feet a few days ago to Thursday's forecast of 26.2 feet, the forecast along the Meramec river in Pacific has changed for the better. The National Weather Service St. Louis team has two hydrologists who are closely watching gauges up river to determine when the Meramec will crest. As of Thursday afternoon, the Meramec is forecast to crest around lunchtime Friday at 26.2 feet. 26.2 feet is just under the "Major Flood" classification for Pacific.

Mark Duecker owns Pacific 66 Storage, "at 26.2 we estimate the water will come up to this curb right here." The original forecast of 28 feet had him sweating, but the updated drop has him less worried. 

After stacking a row of sand bags at his storage business, Duecker and his new friend Stephen Whistler loaded up to help a neighbor down the road. Whistler, a pastor at Life Stream Church Pacific, met Duecker while volunteer driving and delivering sand bags. 

"I just pulled up and asked if I could help and he said absolutely," Duecker says, "so that's what we've been doing for the last hour."

A few blocks from Pacific 66 Storage, Sara Brundick was scrambling to stack bags around her home. Duecker and Whistler joined about 10 other people at Brundick's and got to work. 

Pointing to the land around her home, Brundick says, "it's not like we have this house to worry about, we have this house and that house and that building and that outbuilding and that green house, so it's a lot."

But she had a village in Pacific helping her.  

Residents in low lying areas of Pacific have been asked to evacuate. Ameren has sent messages advising that the power will be shut off as a precaution.

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