Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois communities are bracing for floodwaters as the Mississippi River crests this week.
The Mississippi River is forecast to crest at 42 feet in Cape Girardeau on Thursday, which is the lower limits of a so-called “major flood stage.”
In flood-prone Dutchtown, residents and the National Guard rush to fill sandbags to protect homes in low-lying areas. Butch Gamache of the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief says a river crest of 42.5-43 feet will cause roads in Dutchtown to flood.
“If the road is shut down, traveling is going to be very hazardous because you won’t get through. You’ll have to go clear around twenty to thirty miles out of the way,” Gamache said.
Gamache also says farmers may take a hit if the water gets too high. He says they may be unable to produce a secondary crop this year if the winter wheat takes longer to harvest.
The Wells Fargo Disaster Team and the Charleston Junior ROTC have also been helping with the sandbagging effort.
In Cape Girardeau, the floodgates are closed and pumping stations are manned. Emergency Management Coordinator Mark Hasheider says there are minimal flooding impacts on houses, streets and businesses within the city. He says the only parts of the city that are prone to flooding are the Red Star District in the north of Cape Girardeau and some areas on the south side, and residents in both areas are well-practiced in protecting themselves from floods.
In Illinois, Alexander County engineer Jeff Denny says some lowland farmers are facing flooded fields and roads, but otherwise no homes are at risk. He says river levels need to rise at least 6 or 7 feet at Cairo before flooding becomes a problem.
Mary Lamm is a National Weather Service hydrologist in Paducah. She expects a slow fall in river levels after the crest on Thursday night or early Friday morning.
“Any additional rainfall we have if we get heavier rains towards the weekend with the next system we’re expecting, it might slow the fall a little bit. But we are still expecting a fall,” Lamm said.
Lamm says the flooding will be significant primarily for people who live near the river itself.
