CREST HERE HEADS FOR HISTORIC LEVELS

For the sixth time in six days, the National Weather Service has revised the flood crest for the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau.

And the latest crest could be the highest at Cape Girardeau in 10 years ... and the fifth highest here in 100 years.

The forecast issued on Saturday by the weather service calls for the river at Cape Girardeau to crest at 43 feet, 13 feet above flood stage, on Friday. That's three feet above the 40-foot crest forecast that was issued on Friday.

A 43-foot crest would be the highest flood crest at Cape Girardeau since 1983, and the fifth highest flood crest here since 1891, according to records of the Corps of Engineers at St. Louis.

The all-time record flood crest at Cape Girardeau occurred on May 1, 1973, when the Mississippi reached 45.6 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge.

On Saturday, the river at Cape was at 35.7 feet, up one-tenth of a foot from Friday's stage. But the forecaster says the river will begin to rise more rapidly over the weekend. Today's stage was expected to be 36.8 feet, rising to 38 feet on Monday, and 39.7 feet on Tuesday.

At St. Louis, the river was expected to crest at 40 feet, ten feet above flood stage, on Wednesday.

Friday's flood crest will be the seventh on the Mississippi at Cape Girardeau since March 11. The highest crest so far this year is 40.6 feet on April 20.

A forecaster said more heavy rains last week from bands of severe thunderstorms that rumbled across the Upper Mississippi River Valley, north of St. Louis, are responsible for the unusual and prolonged mid-summer flooding on the river. The area has been subjected to heavy rains off and on for much of June and early July.

The high water forced the Corps of Engineers to close a 500-mile reach of the river to barge traffic between St. Paul, Minn., and St. Louis, and has also caused extensive flooding and property damage along the Upper Mississippi River, north of St. Louis, and along the Missouri River at St. Charles.

If the 43 foot crest occurs as predicted at Cape Girardeau, it will result in the most serious flooding here in 10 years. The last time the river was at this level was in 1983. Many streets in low-lying areas outside the levee on the north and south sides of the city, and some county roads and state highways in the area, will be covered with water in spots as the river continues to rise.

At 43 feet, the closed streets include: 1600-2300 South Sprigg, in Smelterville; all streets in Smelterville except Cooper; North Main Street, from the levee at Sloan's Creek north to Third Street; Second Street at Spanish, 1400 block of Rand, 200 block of North End Boulevard, off Big Bend Road; and East Cape Rock Drive, from Highway 177 to Cape Rock.

Cape County roads and highways that will have water over them at 43 feet include: County Roads 223 at Allenville, 241, north of 237; 525 at Neely's Landing, and 651, near Egypt Mills. Highway 74, west of the I-55 interchange, will also be covered with water in spots between the interstate and Bloomfield Road intersection.