Rising Mississippi River set to crest Saturday

The Mississippi River reached 30 feet in Cape Girardeau on Monday afternoon, nearing the city's official flood stage, and will continue to rise into the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

"We're looking for it to continue on a steady rise up to around 35 feet around Saturday morning," Mary Lamm, a hydrologist at the Paducah, Kentucky, National Weather Service, said Monday.

At Cape Girardeau, the Mississippi River reaches flood stage at 32 feet.

Lamm said the 35-foot prediction includes Monday's rainfall.

Additional rain later in the week could cause an even greater increase in the predicted water level, she said, but only scattered showers are forecast.

"It's minor flooding at this point," she said, which the National Weather Service considers between 32 feet and 37 feet.

"A lot of farmland will probably be affected," she said. "The bulk of the reason this is rising is because of water coming out of the Missouri River right now and heavier rainfall in the upper Mississippi."

Stan Polivick, assistant public works director for the city of Cape Girardeau, said the pedestrian gate at Themis Street typically closes at 35 feet.

"We'll watch this and see how it plays out the rest of the week," he said, adding the city likely will make a decision Friday whether to close the gate. "It is certainly possible we could close Themis based on this forecast. But if it only goes to 34.5 feet, we may not close it at all."

Polivick said he doesn't think the Broadway Street floodgate will need to be closed because the crest isn't expected to reach 37.5 feet.

"At these river stages, there's not a lot of impact in town," he said. "But driving out in rural areas or down by the diversion channel, the water level is going to be higher."

klamb@semissourian.com

388-3639