Mississippi River expected to crest Thursday afternoon

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau rose above the “moderate” flood stage level earlier this week and is expected to crest today afternoon more than 5 feet above the city’s minimum flood threshold.

According to forecasts from the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, the river will reach 37.5 feet on the Cape Girardeau river gage before beginning a gradual fall to below 32 feet around April 5.

That date could vary based on rainfall north of Cape Girardeau in the next week and a half. Excessive rainfall along the Mississippi and Missouri river basins could slow the river’s descent.

The Broadway and Themis Street floodgates were closed Friday when the river approached 36 feet on the Cape Girardeau gage and should reopen sometime next week as the river begins to fall.

The river reaches “minor” flood stage in Cape Girardeau when it exceeds 32 feet, while the “moderate” flood stage is between 36 and 42 feet. The river reaches “major” flood proportions when it exceeds 42 feet on the Cape Girardeau gage. The river has been above the 32-foot mark since March 19.

The record river crest in Cape Girardeau was 48.86 feet recorded Jan. 2, 2016. Last year, the river crested June 11 at 46.36 feet, which was the fifth-highest crest on record.

In its 2020 spring flooding forecast, the National Weather Service said the flood potential in the Mississippi and Ohio river basins will be above average through the middle of May due to heavy rainfall in the upper river regions that saturated topsoil, making it difficult for areas susceptible to flooding to absorb regional floodwaters.

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