Mississippi River at Cape now forecast to crest at 45.5 feet

Thanks to another wet spring, the Mississippi River is poised to reach major flood stage at Cape Girardeau. The current forecast calls for the crest to arrive Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning next week at 45.5 feet.

If this happens, it would be the 10th highest crest on record. The all-time record was set on Jan. 2, 2016, when the river briefly hit 48.86 ft. The highest stage during the Flood of 1993 was 48.49 ft.

The river forecast takes into account the expected precipitation over the next 48 hours or so. However, even more rain is expected arrive next week, which could raise or prolong the flooding. The hazards outlook (experimental) from the Climate Prediction Center paints southern Missouri within a "moderate" risk zone for heavy precipitation during May 9-13.

Looking further ahead, the one-month outlook for May shows a strong signal for above-average precipitation.