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The Mississippi River reached a record high of 22.64 feet flooding Davenport, Iowa.
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Forecasters predict that flooding along the Mississippi could persist until the end of the month and even through June, as continuing rains continue to saturate the Midwest.
"Some points in Iowa and Illinois have been flooding for more than 30 days, which is not the case since we started keeping records – and some of them date back 150 years, "said Patrick Burke, Meteorologist at the National Weather Service. Weather Prediction Center of College Park, Maryland.
At least four people died as a result of the flood, which shut down hundreds of roads, stopped shipping traffic to parts of the Mississippi and flooded several cities, including major floods in Davenport, Iowa, and in Rock Island, Illinois.
The problem is that heavy snow during the winter has melted, flooding the soil and filling the rivers with runoff. Then, there is usually a lull during which soils can dry out before the start of the spring rains.
Not this year.
"The soils have not really had the chance to dry out, they are still saturated by snowmelt and rains," said Corey Loveland, a meteorologist at the Chanhassen National Weather Service River Forecast Center in Chanhassen.
The Mississippi River has peaked higher than ever before. It was 22.7 feet in Davenport, Iowa, on Thursday, a record that had not been equal since records began in 1862, said Loveland. It's almost eight feet above the flood stage
City of Davenport workers carry sandbags over the Mississippi floodwaters to the Rivers Edge Building, Iowa, May 2, 2019. The Mississippi River is expected to reach a record level of 22.7 feet Thursday night. (Photo: Kevin E. Schmidt, AP)
In Rock Island, Illinois, Mississippi set a record high of 22.7 feet, breaking the record of July 9, 1993, during the Great Flood of 1993.
More rain is coming, said Burke.
"It'll start to pick up. We are monitoring a good sized storm system that will occur between Tuesday and Thursday. The area affected by the bull will have an impact on the floods, "said Burke.
Currently, the National Weather Service predicts the heaviest rainfall, up to three inches, around Kansas City. However, one to two inches of rain could fall as far north as southern Minnesota, he said.
"We can expect to see additional increases even as the rivers begin to fall earlier in the week," Burke said.
It will not take much rain to affect the rivers because the soils remain very saturated, said Loveland. "If you get even less than an inch of rain, it goes into the river."
Even if the situation dries up, river flows will continue to be high until May and June, Loveland said. But it could also last another month.
"The wildcard is really rain in the forecast. If it's cold and wet, we could have high flows until the end of June. It really depends on what the spring rains bring, "he said.
The ongoing floods are causing casualties, as many of the temporary structures put in place to retain the water are not designed to last for months.
"The longer the river is at these high levels, the more these structures are tested," Loveland said.
To the west, the Missouri River is also a source of concern, said meteorologist Sarah Atkins at the National Weather Service's Kansas City office.
"We will begin to see several showers and thunderstorms from Sunday night starting Thursday night over much of Missouri, much of Kansas, Nebraska, the United States. Iowa and a large part of Illinois, "she said.
The Missouri River has had minor floods to date and is expected to remain near these levels. However, with the risk that 2 to 4 inches of extra rain hit the saturated soil, she advised residents to be careful.
"If there are barricades, go back, do not go. If you see a flooded pavement, go back. It's just not worth it, "she said.
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