By Rachel Lippmann
St. Louis – Moderate flooding remains a risk along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers until at least next week, officials at the National Weather Service office in St. Louis say.
The Mississippi River at St. Louis is expected to crest about 5 feet above flood stage on Wednesday or Thursday. It's already dropping in Hannibal and Quincy after moderate flooding there over the weekend. At St. Charles, the Missouri River will peak at about 7 feet above flood stage.
But all that could change rapidly, said weather service hydrologist Mark Fuchs.
"If we get a big rainfall event here in the next several weeks, we could be in for some significant flooding, and that includes the risk of major flooding," he said.
Rainfall at Lambert Airport for the month of May is already 1.5 inches above average, Fuchs said, though totals for the year are running slightly below normal. The recent wet pattern is expected to continue.
"We don't see any indications of a huge rain event coming up, but the fact that we are looking at an above average chances of rain over the next months to three months implies that the threat for heavy rain in locations close to us will be there," Fuchs said.
Rain is in the forecast on Thursday and Friday.