River to hit flood stage at Cape this week

Around five months ago, the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau was low enough barges were being forced to light-load in order to travel the muddy waterway. Next week, the river is expected to exceed the flood stage in Cape.

Forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate the river could reach as high as 34-and-a-half-feet in Cape Girardeau by Thursday, March 9, up around 15 feet from its current depth. The flood stage in Cape Girardeau is 32 feet.

A flood warning was issued Friday, March 3, across numerous counties in Southeast Missouri. An estimated 2 to 4 inches of rain fell Friday morning.

The river is expected to receed toward to middle of march, lowering back down to around 22 feet.