MISSISSIPPI, OHIO RIVERS ON RISE; 39-FOOT CREST IS EXPECTED MONDAY

When Main Street Levee District personnel closed the Themis Street floodgate, it was the first sign that the Mississippi River was on the rise.

The giant gate was closed more than a week ago when the river reached 35.5 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge.

The National Weather Service at Paducah, Ky., said the river here Thursday stood at 35.6 feet. It is expected to hit 37.1 Saturday and to crest at 39 feet Monday.

The rise will necessitate closing of the Broadway floodgate. A spokesman for the Main Street Levee District said the gate must be closed at 38.7 and is usually closed at 38.3 feet on the gauge.

The river here would have to reach about 40 feet before any significant flooding occurred.

Persistent rains have been falling to the north and west, swelling both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The Missouri has been closed to navigation from St. Joseph to the central Missouri town of Miami, said the Army Corps of Engineers.

No more rain is in the forecast for the weekend. Sunshine is expected today and Saturday, with temperatures in the 60s to 70s.

The Weather Service reported Thursday that the Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., could reach flood stage of 40 feet on the gauge by Saturday and crest at 41 feet by Tuesday.