Flooding Impacting Mississippi River

While the flood fight — and recovery — continues in western Iowa, the eastern edge of Iowa is bracing for more rain and a rising Mississippi River. 

The river has been steadily rising over the past week due to heavy rainfall.

Northeast Iowa has mostly been spared, giving Emergency Management Coordinators like Sarah Moser in Clayton County time to prepare.

Moser says the ground in the area is already saturated.

The river is forecasted to reach 20 feet in Clayton County by the start of July, which would be near the levels reached during flooding in 2019.

Meanwhile, a Flood Warning has been issued for the Mississippi River in Dubuque. The river is predicted to rise to nearly 21 feet by next Tuesday – that’s nearly four feet above flood stage. 

And the City of Davenport has deployed temporary barriers and water pumps along the Mississippi River in preparation for flooding. The Mississippi crest in Davenport is expected around July 4th, though current forecasts indicate it will be far below the record set in 2019.

The National Weather Service says at this time, flooding is not expected along the Maquoketa River in Manchester nor the upper basin of the Wapsi River in Independence or Anamosa.

partial story contribution courtesy of Radio Iowa; image courtesy of NWS