RIVER CREST OF 35.3 FEET FORECAST FOR CAPE GIRARDEAU BY TUESDAY

The rising Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is expected to crest Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said Saturday.

The river is expected to crest Tuesday at 35.3 feet on the gauge, more than three feet above food stage, said Chris Albers, a meteorologist with the service at St. Louis.

The river here Saturday stood at 34.7 feet. The forecast calls for a rise to 34.8 feet today, 35 feet Monday, cresting at 35.3 feet Tuesday. The river is expected to fall to just over 35 feet by Thursday, Albers said, still three feet above flood stage.

The rising waters are attributed to snow melt and water runoff in the northern states of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas. Albers said the snow melt and runoff waters should be finished by early May.

"After that, if it floods, it'll be because of heavy rains, not because of snow melt or runoff," Albers said.

The weather service is calling for a 50 percent chance of rain or thundershowers today with a slight chance of rain tomorrow. But Albers said that there should not be enough accumulation to affect the river stage.

The National Weather Service had initially predicted the crest for Monday, Albers said. But the river is rising slower than expected, she said.

"The river's not rising very fast," said Earl Lynn, with the Main Street Levee District in Cape Girardeau. "It's just creeping up."

The flood gate at Themis and Water Street has been closed for several days. Lynn isn't sure when it will be reopened.

"We're getting some rain and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to open it right away," Lynn said. "Why open it tomorrow so we can go down and close it that day? We have to be cautious."

ON THE RISE

The Mississippi River forecast for Cape Girardeau:

Today: 34.8 feet

Monday: 35 feet

Tuesday: 35.3 feet (CREST)