River crests, begins to fall below record levels

The Mississippi River crested late Friday at Cape Girardeau and was slowly coming down from record levels Saturday, according to reports from the National Weather Service.

The river gauge at Cape Girardeau reached 48.86 feet about 10 p.m. Friday -- above the 1993 record of 48.49 feet.

The river originally was forecast to crest at 50 feet Sunday.

The river at 4 p.m. Saturday read 48.42 feet and is forecast to slowly fall through the week. Hydrologic forecasts indicate the river won't go below "major" flooding stage -- which is 42 feet -- until Wednesday evening.

"Even though the river may not continue rising, we are still considered in 'major flood stage' in Cape Girardeau and surrounding areas," wrote Jessica Sexton with the city of Cape Girardeau. "Crews continue staying vigilant and inspecting wall and levee structures several times daily while the water remains elevated. The floodwall gates in Cape Girardeau continue to remain closed. Both pumping stations remain operating."

Stay tuned to semissourian.com for updates.