A home is completely submerged on December 30, 2015 in Fenton, Missouri. The St. Louis area and surrounding region experiencing record flood crests of the Mississippi, Missouri and Meremac Rivers after days of record rainfall. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
What's so unusual about this? Don't the "Mighty Mississippi" and its tributaries swell at least once every year?
Well... yes, but rarely in winter.
Of 133 prior Mississippi River crests above flood stage in St. Louis, only three had occurred from December through February.
A succession of events late in the year, culminating in a torrential post-Christmas rain event, triggered this weird winter flood, setting record crests in several locations.
This prompted officials to announce the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway on January 10, designed to drain excess Mississippi River water into Lake Pontchartrain and protect the city of New Orleans.
Never before since the spillway had been completed in 1931 had it been opened this early in the year.
https://weather.com/news/news/5-weird-things-happening-now-january-2016
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