"We're currently expecting by the beginning of next week the majority of the Mississippi from Dubuque down to Gladstone Illinois to be at moderate flood with Burlington Iowa actually being a major flood," Wilson said in a phone interview with WVIK. "And we do expect more sites upstream from there to be in a major flood around the 4th of July."
Wilson says the Quad Cities area should see the river crest 18.5 feet on or before the nation's birthday. However, Wilson says storms this week could exacerbate flooding problems by adding more inches and speeding up the crest time.
"Lowland areas that are unprotected by a flood wall or levy structure will start to go under the water; typically, the first things you see are parks or riverfront areas, and that's
during minor flooding," Wilson said. "By the time you hit moderate or major flooding, you'll see infrastructure impacts. So either a riverfront road or homes along the river will become inundated with water as well."
Davenport Public Works Director and Assistant City Administrator Nicole Gleason, during a media briefing on Tuesday, June 25, said parts of River Drive will be closed until the flood event subsides. She stressed that residents check their website for further updates, as further storms could change their action plan.
Gleason says the current inventory of sandbags is reserved for properties under the 18-foot threshold.
"So if you're not impacted until, say, 20 feet, we won't be providing those services yet," Gleason said. "As people call in to request support we will be verifying the property to make sure it's in that flood zone that we expect the river to crest."
Gleason says the city's river action plan is able to adapt to a 23-foot flood.
"If it goes greater than 19 feet, there will be additional closures on River Drive," Gleason said.
Executive Director for Downtown Davenport Partnership Kyle Carter says the Red, White, and Boom event has been postponed. A date will be announced in the next few weeks. A big concern for the delay wasn't volume but the speed of the river current.
"It's really the current; just to clarify, the barge cannot anchor safely in fast-moving water," Carter said. "There is no way we're putting barges out there in that circumstance."
The City of Rock Island announced the implementation of its flood-strategy plan by installing marked pumps throughout the downtown area and closing gatewells. The water pump hoses will remain until the river level falls below 16 feet.
The Sunset Marina fuel dock will be closed, and service will be discontinued by the end of the week. Sunset Drive from 31st Avenue to the Park Shelter and Skafidas Parkway will also be closed by the end of the week.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, has closed multiple campgrounds, boat ramps, and day-use areas along the Mississippi River due to flooding, according to a press release sent Tuesday, June 25.
"Impacted recreation areas include Grant River, Pleasant Creek, Thomson Causeway, Cattail Slough, Andalusia Slough, Clark’s Ferry, Shady Creek, Blanchard Island, Kilpeck Landing, Ferry Landing, Fenway Landing, Bear Creek, Canton Chute, and John Hay," the release states.
"Anybody that lives on or is affected by the level on the Mississippi, even other streams and creeks, we are expecting higher levels on the Rock River, Wapsipinicon River, the Ceder River, the lower part of the Iowa River," Wilson said. "Now is the time to prepare, we're still not quite at flood levels in those locations. Still have time to get out and make final preparations to make sure your property is secured."
