From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org

JEFFERSON CITY -Missouri officials are urging residents to prepare for severe storms and heavy rainfall as the remnants of Hurricane Isaac move through the region. Forecasters predict the path of the hurricane to go through mid-Missouri and into the St. Louis region. While the storm will bring much-needed rainfall to the drought-stricken region, some officials are concerned about where all that water will go.

"It looks like it's going to be a rain event rather than a high wind event," said Missouri Public Service Commission Chairman Kevin Gunn. "We don't know how it's going to react with it being so dry or where water is going to go. So people need to be prepared for potential flooding which could in turn lead to potential service outages."

As of Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service in St. Louis is predicting 3 to 5 inches of widespread rainfall, but also notes that higher amounts are possible. The weather service predicts the rain will begin Friday and last through the weekend and into Sunday.

Gunn says it's important to be prepared for power outages. He suggests putting together an emergency kit that includes items like bottled water, food, flashlights, blankets, a battery-operated radio, and batteries. He also says to call your service provider if there is a power or gas outage.

Officials are also urging residents to be wary of downed power lines.

"Assume that all lines down on the ground are live lines and should not be touched. The best thing to do is call 911 and let them know that there is a down power line," said Gunn.

Missouri officials also say generators should be run outside or in a vented area to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and to make sure the generator is properly grounded before starting it.

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