This spring is 16th time Mississippi has gone over 20 feet
St. Feriole Island is closed to vehicle traffic and water was covering most of the intersection of North Main and Washington streets Monday morning. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)
This is the view from the intersection of North Main and Washington streets looking towards the Washington Street Bridge.
By Ted Pennekamp
The Mississippi River at McGregor was at 20.3 feet at 6:45 a.m. on April 1 and is expected to reach 21.9 feet by April 5, according to the National Weather Service.
Sixteen feet is minor flood stage. Nineteen feet is moderate flood stage and 22 feet is major flood stage. The river at McGregor has reached major flood stage only twice. It reached 25.38 feet on April 24, 1965, the highest crest ever recorded. It reached 23.75 on April 20, 2001.
The last time the river went over 20 feet was on April 18, 2011 when it crested at 21.32 feet.
According to the National Weather Service, the river is predicted to reach 21.9 feet on April 5 and then go down slightly for the near future.
The river has gone beyond 20 feet 15 times in recorded history. The historic crests are as follows:
(1) 25.38 ft on 4/24/1965
(2) 23.75 ft on 4/20/2001
(3) 21.98 ft on 6/29/1993
(4) 21.58 ft on 4/22/1969
(5) 21.38 ft on 4/15/1997
(6) 21.32 ft on 4/18/2011
(7) 21.12 ft on 5/05/1975
(8) 21.00 ft on 6/22/1880
(9) 20.89 ft on 4/23/1952
(10) 20.83 ft on 4/22/1951
(11) 20.71 ft on 4/10/1967
(12) 20.20 ft on 10/01/1987
(13) 20.20 ft on 10/04/1986
(14) 20.15 ft on 3/22/1973
(15) 20.10 ft on 4/10/1986
The following is what happens when the river reaches certain stages.
27.9 - The water overtops the levee.
25.4 - The water reaches the flood of record set in 1965.
25 - Major flooding occurs in McGregor.
23.5 - The road near the casino in Marquette is closed.
22 - Water covers the north end of Main Street.
21.5 - Railroad tracks near the casino in Marquette are closed.
19.6 - The road to the Prairie du Chien wastewater treatment facility is flooded.
19 - Flooding of some residential areas begin.
18 - Pumping operations begin at the Prairie du Chien waste water treatment facility.
17 - Minor lowland flooding begins, and access to parks near the river in Prairie du Chien is affected.
16.5 - Water may begin to go over the road covering part of Highway C near Highway 18.
16 - The Washington Street Bridge to St. Feriole Island begins to flood and is closed. Pumping operations are underway.
