CLARKSVILLE, Mo. – Mississippi River levels are causing major flooding in parts of Iowa and, as that water travels downstream, we will see some impacts in our region. The city of Clarksville, Missouri, is constructing a flood wall, but it won’t be finished for another two years.
For the city of Clarksville, scenes from four years ago are a reminder of how impactful spring flooding can be.
That’s why city leaders are paying close attention to the river forecast and have specific levels in mind when taking future action. The Mississippi River flood stage at Clarksville is approximately 25 feet.
“When we see 31, we know that we’re going to have water. Water on the streets, front street, downtown. If that is happening, then we’ve got to be defending,” Clarksville Mayor Jo Anne Smiley said.
The high river levels coming down the Mississippi River will cause some low-end moderate flooding to our north later this week. Mayor Smiley is ready to get prepared.
“We tell them that if this water comes we do what we’ve always done,” she said.
Pending no immediate heavy rain, we’ll see nice rise at the St. Louis riverfront but experts at the National Weather Service say we most likely won’t come close to flood stage.
“Simply, the Missouri River isn’t doing its part. It’s not providing enough inflow into the Mississippi to compliment the water that’s coming down from the upper end of the Mississippi,” said senior service hydrologist Mark Fuchs.
In fact, the drought potential is starting to cause some concern. The lack of rain has caused many streams across central and northeast Missouri into west central Illinois to be well below their normal levels for springtime.
“So, if we’re not seeing flooding this time of the year, we start worrying about the drought. And that concern will increase as we get into the warmer months of spring and early summer,” Fuchs said.