By Beacon Staff
For the last few weeks, the Mississippi River has slowly crept its way into flood stage.
But if the weather stays somewhat dry, it’s just as likely to creep back down.
The Mississippi River was sitting at the minor flood stage of 15.3 feet Thursday evening (June 4) and is expected to rise to a crest of 15.5 feet by Friday (June 5).
That’s not high enough to significantly impact Burlington and the surrounding area, and city crews erected temporary flood barriers last week as a precaution. Those barriers likely will stay up through the summer to protect against the fluctuating waterway.
The river is projected to stay around that 15.5-foot mark through the weekend, then slowly descend below flood stage Tuesday (June 9). If projections prove correct, the river will be at 14.9 feet by then and will drop to 14.2 feet by Thursday (June 11).
If it doesn’t rain.
The next few days will be vital, and though the chance for rain is minimal, it is far from non-existent. There’s a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms tonight (June 4), but those unlikely storms could be severe. The National Weather Service is forecasting a slight risk for severe storms over Iowa, with a marginal risk over much of eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois and Missouri tonight.
The main risk from storms will be torrential rainfall, but damaging winds and large hail will be possible after midnight.
There’s also a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday (June 5), then a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms before 1 a.m. that night.
The weekend promises to be clear and sunny, with a 50 percent chance of rain returning Tuesday (June 9), and a 30 percent chance Wednesday (June 10).
Heavy rain could cause the river to level off instead of dropping or possibly cause a further rise. The National Weather Service updates the flood projection hourly, taking into account recent rain and predicted rain over 24 hours.