Team undertaking Montauk repairs, clean up lauded

The flood recovery team, consisting of staff from Montauk State Park east of Licking, Rock Island State Park and members of the statewide construction unit with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Division of State Parks, has been selected as the department’s “Team Members of the Month” for July 2025.

The group was selected for its service to the department and its effort with cleanup after flooding severely damaged portions of Montauk State Park in November 2024. Heavy rainfall wiped out infrastructure and its fishery operation was severely affected.

Members of the recovery team include Jeremy Anthony, Alan Briscoe, David Callahan, Jim Duryee, John Foster, Jeffrey Gibson, Carl Gisselbeck, Chad Kearbey, Curtis Johnson, Brian Meyer, Jessie Nyman, Daryn Ruble, Chad Smith, Kevin Wilkins and Caleb Wright.

In early November 2024, heavy rains led to flooding along the Current River and the park was closed.  The river rose to an unprecedented 19.58 feet. The floodwaters destroyed two cabins, washed out sections of the road, damaged playgrounds, the shower house and the historic Montauk Mill; and shorted out electrical systems in the campground. In addition, many areas were inundated with debris, sand and gravel once floodwaters receded.

“Thankfully, no injuries were reported,” said Pete Hovey, the park superintendent who nominated the team for the award. “Our goal was to have the park reopen by March 1 for opening day of catch-and-keep trout season. Within days, the team was in the park with excavators and dump trucks removing tons of sand, gravel and woody debris.”

It removed an estimated 300 truckloads of sand and gravel, repaired sections of washed-out roads, cleared what remained of the two cabins and replaced electric infrastructure in the campground. Hovey said with pure grit and determination, the crew met its goal of getting the park open in time for the trout season opener, an event steeped in tradition for many Missourians.

“These individuals did a lot of the repetitive heavy lifting in fair and foul weather,” said Hovey, “We would not have recovered without them.”