Last week’s heavy rains in the upper Midwest are now causing flooding on the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi is forecast to crest in Cape Girardeau at 45 and a half feet on Thursday. That’s considered major flooding by the National Weather Service, and only three feet short of the historical high set in 1993.
National Weather Service hydrologist Mary Lamm says more rain is in the forecast, but it shouldn’t push river levels any higher.
“We do have another system coming in later this week,” Lamm said. “Throughout the Mississippi Valley we could be looking at another one to two inches of rain. If anything, it’s going to be a threat to the tributaries themselves that have high water but really isn’t going to touch the Mississippi River.”
Those tributaries include the Big Muddy River in Illinois, where backwater from the Mississippi could cause some flooding near Murphysboro.
The Army Corps of Engineers dispatched a flood-fighting team to the community on Monday. Corps spokesperson Mike Peterson says this flood will not be nearly as serious as the flood two years ago.
“2011 was the fourth-highest flood of record for Cape Girardeau,” Peterson said. “But we’re not approaching that level right now. We don’t anticipate getting to that kind of catastrophic flooding.”
Peterson says Cape Girardeau is well-protected by its floodwalls, but flooding is expected in nearby Dutchtown.
