Mississippi River expected to drop to 37 feet by Monday

Mississippi River levels continues their rapid decline across the Midwest, and at Cape Girardeau, the National Weather Service predicts the river will drop under 37 feet by Monday morning.

At 7 a.m. today, the river at Cape Girardeau stood at 39.7 feet, dropping one foot in 24 hours prior, according to National Weather Service forecast data. Flood stage is 32 feet at Cape Girardeau.

At 36 feet the Themis Street floodgate will open, and the Broadway gate will open at 38 feet, according to National Weather Service data.

The river crested a week ago, July 2, at just under 42.5 feet. During the 1993 flood, the river reached 48.49 feet at Cape Girardeau.

Few flooding problems were reported in Cape Girardeau during the crest, though a lightning strike did temporarily disable downtown pumps that kept river water out during a June 26 storm. Some streets were closed due to floodwaters, including a stretch of Highway 177 that is now open.

However thousands of farm acres in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois remain under water.