Flooding concerns continue as thaw accelerates

St Louis, Mo.-Spring-like weather conditions gave some areas the green light for field activities last week, but also contributed to flooding concerns as rivers continued to rise. The Mississippi River was at or near flood stage through most of northeastern Missouri in late March, and flood warnings were posted at numerous locations along the river from St. Louis to St. Paul, Minn. The National Weather Service reported that minor flooding had occurred in Missouri locations at Hannibal, Louisiana, and Clarksville. River levels at St. Paul were nearly a foot higher than its spring peak in 2010, but levels were about two feet lower than had originally been predicted for that location. In Iowa, the Mississippi was expected to top flood stage at midweek in Davenport. Earlier in the week, moderate flooding was reported along the Cedar River in Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa. In Illinois, the Mississippi River in the Quad-Cities area rose above the 15-foot flood stage at Lock and Dam No. 15 last week, on its way to an expected crest of 15.9 feet on April 2. The National Weather Service said river levels there may steady or continue to slowly rise through the first week of April, depending on weather conditions. Elevated flood risks remained in effect for areas of eastern South Dakota along the James and Big Sioux Rivers. Levels on the James River in Gillispie, S.D., in late March were approaching the 25.33 feet record set in 2001, but officials said they expected it to crest just shy of that level. Local reports said small tributaries were open and running in the Red River Valley in late March, but the Red River itself remains capped by ice from its headwaters at Breckenridge, Minn., up to the Canadian border. Once the ice starts breaking up, officials say there is a 45 percent chance that near-record levels will be reached on portions of the river. The U.S. Weather Service says major flooding is likely for all locations on the main stream of the Red River in North Dakota and parts of Minnesota. Both Moorhead, Minn., and Fargo, N.D., were planning to distribute sandbags to critical neighborhoods late in the week. In the Western Canada market, the latest flood forecast released on March 25 said Manitoba will see significant flooding this spring, with flood potential remaining high for the Interlake Region and the Red, Assiniboine, Winnipeg, Souris, Pembina, Saskatchewan, and Fisher Rivers. Flood forecasters say even average weather conditions will lead to flooding equal to 2009 along the Red River in many areas of Manitoba, while unfavorable weather could produce flooding of 1997 record proportions.