|
NOAA News || NOAA Home Page || Previous Story WEEKEND RAINS PROLONG MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODING, SWELL OTHER RIVERS
National Weather Service offices issued flash flood warnings in Kentucky, with urban and small stream advisories being common in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. River flood warnings were issued for the Missouri River in Kansas and Missouri; the Iowa and Cedar rivers in Iowa, and the Vermillion River in South Dakota. The Missouri River crested near St. Joseph, Mo., Monday morning with minor flooding expected downstream to Herman, Mo. Moderate to major flooding continues on the James River in South Dakota and the Souris River in North Dakota. These rivers are expected to remain in flood for several weeks. The Red River of the North, which forms the North Dakota-Minnesota state line, was mostly below moderate flood levels and will continue a slow fall, falling below flood stage this week and next. However, weekend storms saturated ground that was just beginning to dry out in the Red River Valley, dropping up to 2.5 inches of rain on the North Dakota side of the drainage. That runoff has caused significant rises in the Sheyenne and Maple Rivers with moderate rises on the Goose River. Rainfall amounts of 1-2 inches over the weekend on saturated ground in northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri swelled the Missouri River above flood stage from St. Joseph, Mo., to Miami, Mo. The Missouri was at 20.6 feet Sunday at St. Joseph (flood stage 17 feet) and expected to remain above flood stage until Thursday morning. Atchison, Kan., measured 23.6 feet Monday with flood stage at 22 feet. Waverly, Mo., saw a measurement of 21.3 feet Monday morning (flood stage 20 feet) and expected to top out at 22.5 feet Monday night, falling below flood stage Wednesday afternoon. With a second crest near Dubuque, Iowa, this morning, the Mississippi River was falling from Aitkin, Minn. to Guttenburg, Iowa. The crest will move slowly downstream through the week. Measured at 23 feet Monday morning at Quincy, Ill., (flood stage 17 feet) the Mississippi is expected to reach a new crest near 24 feet the morning of May 11. A second crest of 23.7 feet is expected that day in Hannibal, Mo., where the river was measured Monday morning at 22.8 feet (flood stage 16 feet). Forecasters still expect the Mississippi to crest below the 30-foot flood stage at St. Louis, reaching near 28.5 feet May 11-13. The crest is expected to be near 30 feet May 12-14 at Chester, Ill., where flood stage is 27 feet. The river was just above that, at 27.1 feet Monday morning. The weather forecast calls
for mostly dry conditions through most of the week with severe
weather possibly moving into the central United States toward
the latter part of the week and early next week. NOAA's
National Weather Service Central Region, with links to 38 forecast
offices
|
