RIVER UP 14.4 FEET IN MARCH; REST EXPECTED AT 36 FEET BY FRIDAY

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau is forecast to crest late this week at 36 feet, four feet above flood stage. However, no significant flooding typically occurs in the city at that level.

The National Weather Service says the 14.4-foot rise on the river that began March 3 is the result of warmer temperatures last week that melted heavy snow in central Missouri.

The Mississippi at Cape Girardeau was at 19.3 feet on March 3. It rose to 24.4 March 5, and 30.1 feet on Saturday. The river reached flood stage (32 feet) on Sunday. On Monday, it was at 33.7 feet.

The Mississippi is forecast to be at 34.7 today, 35.4 on Wednesday, 35.9 on Thursday, with the flood crest on Friday, at 36 feet.

Although no streets or homes in the city will be affected by the 36-foot flood crest, it will cause some flooding in unprotected lowland farmland along the river and the Diversion Channel.

Both the Mill Street and Merriwether Street pumping stations went into operation over the weekend. A spokesman for the Main Street Levee Improvement District said the Merriwether Street pumping station was placed on-line Sunday afternoon. A spokesman for Union Electric Company, which operates the Mill Street pump station, said station was opened early Saturday morning.

The two pump stations are operated when the Mississippi reaches 30 feet, and storm water cannot drain by gravity into the river. At 32 feet, the city's wastewater treatment plant changes from gravity flow to pump operation.

At 36 feet, the Themis Street floodgate is closed to prevent wave wash from passing towboats from spilling onto Water Street.

Friday's flood crest is the third at Cape since November 1992. Prior to that, the river had not been above flood stage at Cape since 1990. The Nov. 27, 1992 flood crest at Cape was 33.7 feet. About a month later, the Mississippi crested here on Dec. 21, at 33.7 feet.

The last time significant flooding on the river at Cape on May 21, 1990, when it crested at 39.6 feet. On Dec. 10, 1982, the Mississippi crested here at 43.5 feet. The all-time record flood crest at Cape Girardeau occurred on May 1, 1973, when the river crested here at 45.6 feet.

The completion in 1964 of the concrete and earthen levee from Sloan's Creek on the north side of the city to the Mississippi River bridge has stopped any flooding in those areas of the city. However, flooding still occurs in the unprotected north and south sides of Cape when the river reaches 38-39 feet.