River flooding begins slow retreat

The swollen Mississippi River crested at 45.99 feet at 9:30 p.m. Saturday in Cape Girardeau, according to observed flood-gauge data from the National Weather Service, and was beginning to recede gradually.

The crest on the big river came a little earlier than expected; the weather service predicted the crest would occur sometime Sunday.

The reading displaces the former sixth-highest recorded crest in the city of 45.70 feet, set May 18, 2002. Flood stage is 32 feet.

The all-time river high in Cape Girardeau is 48.86 feet, set Jan. 2, 2016.

The weather service Friday lowered its predicted crest to 46 feet, after it earlier in the week forecast a level as high as 48.5 feet, inches from the record.

The service predicts the river will fall below 42 feet, or major flood stage, on May 12.

Once the river level drops below 40 feet -- predicted to be May 13 -- river flooding problems in Cape Girardaeau's Red Star neighborhood likely will ease.

The weather service's hydrology prediction model ends midday May 21, when the river is forecast to be at 32.3 feet and falling, barring major rain events in the meantime.

Heavy rain is not predicted this week, according to the weather service, with total rainfall predicted at less than two inches for Cape Girardeau and the immediate area.

The weather service predicts a rainy-weather system will move into the region Wednesday afternoon.

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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