Flood warnings are in effect along the Mississippi River. Here’s what it means for you.
Flood warnings from the National Weather Service are in effect along the Mississippi River until further notice. What does that mean for residents in southwestern Illinois?
The Mississippi River’s rising water is coming from heavy rainfall in Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri in recent weeks. But the Missouri River has already crested in St. Charles and is coming down, which impacts downstream communities such as Grafton, St. Louis and Chester, Mark Fuchs, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in St. Louis, said on Saturday evening.
The agency is anticipating minor flooding in the St. Louis region, according to Fuchs.
“Minor” might mean flooding to utility roads, riverside parks or pedestrian pathways, but it is not expected to impact homes, businesses or significant, well-traveled roads.
“We consider minor flooding that which is essentially a nuisance but not a threat to life and property in general,” Fuchs said.
Here is a town-by-town forecast for flooding along the Mississippi River:
Chester: Flood stage is 27 feet. The water on Sunday morning was 32.8 feet high. The forecast is for a crest of 33.8 feet on Monday.
Alton: Flood stage is 21 feet. The water on Sunday morning was 22.1 feet high. (At 22.2 feet, flooding begins at Missouri Highway 94 between Portage Des Sioux and West Alton and at Yachtview Drive along the entrance to Harbor Point Yacht Club.) The river is expected to fall below flood stage on Monday evening.
Grafton: Flood stage is 20 feet. The water on Sunday morning was 22.5 feet high, its expected crest. (At 22.5 feet, flooding begins at the east end of Main Street in Portage Des Sioux.)
St. Louis: Flood stage is 30 feet. The water on Sunday morning was 31.7 feet high. The river is expected to fall below flood stage on Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published July 6, 2024 at 8:01 PM.
