Floodgates opening as river recedes

As the Mississippi River continues to fall at Cape Girardeau, the floodgates protecting the downtown are opening.

The Broadway floodgate was opened Friday morning, said Stacey Beasley, storm-water supervisor with the Cape Girardeau Public Works Department.

She said the Broadway floodgate is opened after the Mississippi River recedes at least a foot below seal elevation, the level where the river meets the bottom of the levee next to the floodwall.

As of 6 a.m. Friday the river was 37.2 feet at Cape Girardeau, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Web site. The river is expected to drop to 35.3 feet by Monday.

The Themis Street floodgate, depending on the forecast and elevation, will likely be opened Monday, Beasley said.

Sandbags covering two manhole covers on Broadway between Main and Water streets were also removed Friday.

The other gates were opened Thursday.

Cape Girardeau police spokesman Sgt. Barry Hovis said that to his knowledge all city streets that were closed due to flooding have been reopened.