River forecast at Cape now at 50 feet; would break '93 record

The National Weather Service is predicting the Mississippi river will crest at 50 feet in Cape Girardeau on Jan. 3, which would break the record height of the river of 48.5 feet set during the flood of 1993.

"We've just got to wait and see what happens," Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Director Richard Knaup said. "This is all new territory for us."

Knaup said preparations have been made to prepare for more flooding -- people have been encouraged to leave their homes in specific areas, hundreds of sandbags have been handed out, and water rescue crews with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and Cape Girardeau Fire Department are ready at a moment's notice. Knaup also said the U.S. Coast Guard has sent assets to Perryville, and the Cape Girardeau Sheriff's Department is patrolling evacuated areas with boats looking for theft.

"We're just trying to cover all our bases," Knaup said.

Perry County -- which has received some of the worst flooding in Southeast Missouri -- is still expecting a crest of 47.5 feet. In New Madrid, the crest is predicted to top out at 45 feet on Jan. 4, 3 feet below the previous record. The Ohio level near Cairo, Ill., is supposed to crest at 57.5 feet.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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