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Environment

Flood Risk Still High

National Weather Service

The chances for major flooding by the Mississippi River continue to be well above normal. That's the latest spring flood outlook from the National Weather Service.

Senior Service Hydrologist Matt Wilson says we're experiencing average temperatures and precipitation here in the Quad Cities, but that's not the case upstream, in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

"Early April and late March were colder than normal, and that allowed that snowpack to hang on. And then we're being presented with this very unseasonal warm up next week when we will get above average temperatures overnight as well so we won't have any steady snow melt."

Temperatures upstream could reach the 70's next week.

So for the Quad Cities, there's around a 70 per cent chance the Mississippi will reach 3 feet over flood stage which is considered major flooding. And a 50 per chance it'll reach 5 feet over flood stage.

National Weather Service

He says peak river levels are expected beginning late next week through the following week.

The National Weather Service now predicts the river will rise 3 1/2 feet in Dubuque during the next seven days, to just below flood stage. And rise 2 feet in the Quad Cities, to one foot below flood stage.

Environment