UNITED STATES NEWS

Mississippi River waters keep rising in Iowa and Illinois

Apr 30, 2023, 1:22 PM

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — People living along the Mississippi River watched warily Sunday as water levels rose in southeast Iowa and northwest Illinois, awaiting spring crests as floodwaters began to slowly recede and reveal damage in areas further north.

The National Weather Service said many of the crests across the region this season will rank in the top 10 of all time, but will remain several feet below the records set in past floods. Officials in many cities along the river are optimistic they’ll be able to either keep the floodwaters at bay through a combination of floodwalls and sandbags or contain it to low-lying park areas. But some homes close to the river have been damaged.

“Luckily we’ve had relatively dry weather over the last week or so and not expecting much in the way of rainfall as well,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Philip said. “So it’s coming through as forecast for the most part.”

The river peaked in the Dubuque area Saturday at 23.03 feet (7 meters)— well below the 25.7 feet (7.8 meters) record — but officials there were grateful to have the floodwall the city built 50 years ago in place.

Without that floodwall, the city would be facing significant problems, said Deron Muehring, a civil engineer for the city of Dubuque.

“The floodwaters would be up to 6 feet deep in the Port of Dubuque and more than 7 feet deep in the south port,” Muehring told the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.

The river is expected to crest at around 21.6 feet (6.6 meters) on Monday in the Quad-Cities area, where five neighboring cities sit along the Iowa-Illinois line. Some roads and parks near the river are closed. The record at that spot is 22.7 feet (6.9 meters).

Once the river crests in an area, it may take up to two weeks for the floodwaters to fully recede.

In recent days the Mississippi flooded low-lying parks and trails in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and flooded streets and basements in the town of Campbell on French Island, which lies in the Mississippi and Black rivers just west of La Crosse.

The river crested at 15.9 feet (4.8 meters) on Thursday, almost 4 feet (1.2 meters) above flood stage and the third-highest level ever, but it has been receding by the hour since.

About 60 miles (95 kilometers) downstream, flood waters covered streets in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The river crested there at 22.9 feet (7 meters) on Friday, which also the third-highest crest ever. Officials posted guidelines for disposing of sandbags and other debris on the city’s website as the river levels started to fall.

The flooding is expected to ease as the spring surge of water from melting snow works its way further down the 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) length of the river on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the tributaries in Iowa, Illinois and other Midwest states are running lower than usual, so they won’t exacerbate the flooding by dumping large amounts of water into the river.

United States News

Associated Press

4 die in fiery crash as Pennsylvania police pursued their vehicle

CONCORD, Pa. (AP) — Three adults and a pregnant teenager died in a fiery crash as police pursued their vehicle in connection with retail thefts in southeastern Pennsylvania, authorities said. The car was speeding away from a traffic stop with seven people inside Wednesday afternoon when the driver lost control while using the right shoulder […]

55 minutes ago

Associated Press

First cargo ship passes through newly opened channel in Baltimore since bridge collapse

BALTIMORE (AP) — The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago. The Balsa 94, a bulk carrier sailing under a Panama flag, passed through the new 35-foot (12-meter) channel headed for St. […]

5 hours ago

Associated Press

Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction overturned by NY appeals court

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein ’s 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren’t part of the case. Weinstein, 72, will remain imprisoned because he was […]

6 hours ago

Associated Press

The Latest | Israeli strikes in Rafah kill at least 5 as ship comes under attack in the Gulf of Aden

Palestinian hospital officials said Israeli airstrikes on the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip killed at least five people. More than half of the territory’s population of 2.3 million have sought refuge in Rafah, where Israel has conducted near-daily raids as it prepares for an offensive in the city. The Israeli military has […]

11 hours ago

Associated Press

Some campuses call in police to break up pro-Palestinian demonstrations, while others wait it out

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Some U.S. universities called in police to break up demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, resulting in ugly scuffles and dozens of arrests, while others appeared content to wait out student protests Thursday, as the final days of the semester ticked down and graduation ceremonies loomed. At Emerson College in Boston, 108 […]

12 hours ago

Associated Press

Former tabloid publisher testifies about scheme to shield his old friend Trump from damaging stories

NEW YORK (AP) — The former publisher of the National Enquirer testified Thursday at Donald Trump’s hush money trial about going to great lengths to help shield his old friend from potentially damaging stories using a catch-and-kill scheme prosecutors allege amounted to interference in the 2016 presidential campaign. At the same time, the U.S. Supreme […]

15 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DISC Desert Institute for Spine Care

Sciatica pain is treatable but surgery may be required

Sciatica pain is one of the most common ailments a person can face, and if not taken seriously, it could become one of the most harmful.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

The 51st annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade is excitingly upon us

The 51st annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe is upon us! The attraction honors Arizona and the history of the game.

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Avoid a potential emergency and get your home’s heating and furnace safety checked

With the weather getting colder throughout the Valley, the best time to make sure your heating is all up to date is now. 

Mississippi River waters keep rising in Iowa and Illinois