Here’s what you need to know to get around potential flooding from the Mississippi River

Officials have closed roads and asked residents to conserve water due to a broken agricultural levee as communities near the Mississippi River have flooded.

By 10 a.m. Monday, the river in Grafton had risen to 31 feet, which is 13 feet above the flood stage, according to the National Weather Service’s advanced hydrologic prediction service. The water level was expected to drop off after a nearly 32-foot crest Monday. But the agency says rain is in the forecast for much of the week.

Here’s what commuters and residents need to know during the flooding:

Emergency road closures

These are the roads that were closed because of flooding as of Monday morning, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation:

▪ Water Street (Truck Bypass) - Illinois 3 to Kaskaskia Street near Chester.

▪ Kaskaskia Street (Truck Bypass) - Cottage Road to Water Street in Chester.

▪ Illinois 3 - Cora Levee to Water Street near Rockwood in Randolph County.

▪ Illinois 3 - Washington Street to Illinois 100 in Grafton.

▪ Brussels Ferry near Grafton.

▪ U.S. 67 - Mississippi River to Illinois 100 southbound lanes in Alton.

▪ Illinois 96 - Jefferson to Illinois 100 in Kampsville in Calhoun County.

▪ Illinois 96 - County Highway 2 to Crooked Creek Road near Mozier in Calhoun County.

▪ Illinois 100 - U.S. 67 to Illinois 16 near Alton in Jersey County.

▪ Illinois 100 - Illinois 16 to Pike County Line near Hardin in Calhoun County.

▪ Illinois 155 - Laurent Road to Fish Lake Road near Prairie du Rocher.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has also closed the Illinois River to recreational boaters because of the flooding.

Over the weekend, flood gates were installed on the Prairie Du Pont Levee at Triple Lakes Road, according to the St. Clair County Emergency Agency.

Water conservation notice

After an agricultural levee broke near Granite City, Illinois American Water asked the following communities to conserve water by not running sprinklers, dishwashers and washing machines or filling bathtubs:

▪ Alorton

▪ Belleville

▪ Bond Madison Water Company customers in Livingston, Hamel, Worden, Williamson, Pierron, Pocahontas, St. Jacob, Grantfork, Marine, Three County Water District and Alhambra)

▪ Brooklyn

▪ Cahokia

▪ Canteen Township

▪ Caseyville

▪ Centreville

▪ East St. Louis

▪ Fairmont City

▪ Granite City

▪ Madison

▪ Metro-East Municipal Joint Action Water Agency customers

▪ Millstadt

▪ Mitchell Water District customers

▪ Nameoki Township

▪ O’Fallon

▪ Pontoon Beach Water District customers

▪ Sauget

▪ Scott Air Force Base

▪ Shiloh

▪ Smithton Township

▪ St. Clair Township

▪ Stookey Township

▪ Swansea

▪ Venice

▪ Washington Park

▪ Waterloo

Metro-east forecast

There is an 80 percent chance of rain Tuesday, mainly before 7 a.m., for St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Clinton and Randolph counties, the National Weather Service predicts. On Wednesday and Thursday, the chance for rain drops to 40 percent.

High temperatures this week are expected to be in the 70s.

Across the Midwest

At least four deaths have been attributed to flooding in the Midwest.

The Associated Press reported that two kayakers and a camper died in Missouri. And in Indiana, a 2-year-old died when his mother drove onto a flooded road, according to the AP.

This story was originally published May 6, 2019 at 11:48 AM.