Towns along the Mississippi River in the St. Louis region will not see significant flooding despite the river cresting and expected rain this weekend, according to local leaders and emergency management officials.
The river near is expected to peak on Saturday at 20.4 feet above its regular level. While that鈥檚 considered in the minor flood stage by the National Weather Service, Grafton Mayor Michael Morrow said it would take a level just shy of 24 feet to possibly flood businesses by the river.
鈥淣one of our streets are going to be affected, none of our businesses or homes or anything,鈥� said Morrow, who previously served as the St. Louis district engineer of the Army Corps of Engineers. 鈥淚t's really a nonevent for us here in Grafton.鈥�
Morrow said the city is prepared for much worse. Many homes and businesses in Grafton were built perched on stilts.
鈥淕rafton today stands unique among all of the other river towns because we don't have levees,鈥� Morrow said. 鈥淲e're open to the river.鈥�
That means in some years, Grafton floods.
鈥淏ut we鈥檙e used to that,鈥� Morrow said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 all part of our heritage.鈥�
In nearby , the river is predicted to crest at 16.7 feet above regular level at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam. The minor flooding stage is considered 21 feet. This year鈥檚 level is below average for spring, said Mary Kate Brown, deputy director of Madison County鈥檚 Emergency Management Agency.
鈥淲e should be in the clear as far as this crest goes,鈥� Brown said.
Even though the National Weather Service office in St. Louis forecasts scattered thunderstorms over the weekend, no towns below Grafton on the Mississippi are in flood stage, said Melissa Byrd, a meteorologist at the weather service. That鈥檚 because these elevated levels are coming from snow melt and not precipitation.
Byrd said two Missouri points farther north along the Mississippi 鈥� and 鈥� are the only locations peaking in the moderate category. Both will also crest over the weekend.
In , Illinois, two hours north of St. Louis, the river crested at 21.2 feet on Friday, according to the weather service. John Simon, the Adams County Emergency Management director, said the river would need to hit 23 feet for major roads to flood.
The St. Louis region handled all the northern snowmelt this year because of its width here, said Mike Welvaert, a hydrologist with the weather service.
It also helps that both the Missouri and Illinois rivers are below flood stage. In fact, some meteorologists, Morrow said, are wondering if the area will reach moderate or severe drought stages this summer if there鈥檚 not more rainfall.
Currently, much of the St. Louis area is in the 鈥渁bnormally dry鈥� drought level, according to the weather service.
Due to the very dry conditions since the start of April, drought has re-emerged across parts of the area. Portions of C/NE MO have been most impacted, with severe (D2) drought now in these locations.
— NWS St. Louis (@NWSStLouis)
However, the minor flooding this spring doesn鈥檛 mean the area couldn鈥檛 flood later this summer 鈥� or even fall or winter. That鈥檚 why Brown and others said they鈥檒l continue to monitor the river,
鈥�(It鈥檚) just kind of an ever-changing thing that we have to just kind of keep an eye on,鈥� she said.
