River expected to reach 39.5 feet; officials 'closely monitoring' snow melt, rain forecasts

Officials are monitoring Mississippi River levels closely in anticipation of flooding later this month, while Cape Girardeau prepares for elevated weekend river levels.

Cape Girardeau city engineer Stan Polovick wrote in an email Thursday the current stage is 34.3 feet and rising quickly.

"We will close the Themis Gate this afternoon [Thursday]," Polovick wrote, and the Broadway gate will close Friday around noon.

The North Railroad gate will require coordination with BNSF Railroad, and will likely close March 19 or 20, Polovick wrote.

According to the National Weather Service forecast, the Mississippi River is expected to crest at Cape Girardeau on March 24, at 39.5 feet. That's 2.5 feet over moderate flood stage, but below 42 feet, or major flood stage.

"We are monitoring the situation and working with the river forecast centers," said Ashley Ravenscraft, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky.

"We will be updating the forecast every morning and every evening," Ravenscraft added.

Russell Errett, hydraulic engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District water management office, said his office's function is to monitor the river.

"It's getting up above some action stages for us, and we're closely monitoring it," Errett said Thursday morning.

Errett said there is some uncertainty around how the river will behave later this month, between recent rainfall and snow melt.

NWS river forecasts include only rainfall predicted within 48 hours, so future rainfall will affect totals.

"Later this month, the river will definitely be full if not overfull in places. Any additional rainfall we get is not going to be good," Errett said.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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