DAVENPORT, Iowa — According to the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities, the Mississippi River at Rock Island is expected to reach minor flood stage, which is 15 feet by Wednesday, April 19, and will continue rising.
News 8's Charles Hart spoke with NWS Senior Service Hydrologist Matt Wilson. He said the Mississippi River is then expected to reach moderate flood stage, which is 16 feet, within 48 hours after minor flood stage is reached. He said the sooner the better for preparations.
"Now's the time to get anything up from low-lying areas that are unprotected by the levee system," Wilson said. "Get that moved up to the high ground and just get everything ready."
By early next week, April 24-28, the NWS predicts the Mississippi River at Rock Island will reach major flood stage which is 18 feet. Officials say we may see river levels as high as 21 feet.
They said the increasing river levels are from the snowpack melt up north from the previous warm temperatures.
"Some of that was soaked up into the soil, which is really good that it definitely took some of the brunt of this initial push of snowmelt," Wilson said. "But a lot of that made it into the streams and we're starting to see that now as it's starting to come down."
News 8 also spoke with the owner of Mary's on 2nd, Bobby Stansberry, whose bar stood severe damages from the devastating flood in 2019. He said they were able to keep the floor dry, but his basement was completely flooded, and the water was up to the front steps of his bar.
Stansberry now faces a similar threat, but said he's prepared for it. However, he said if another major flood would impact his bar, he may not be able to financially recover. The 2019 flood cost him $90,000 in damages.
"We got the majority of the stuff out of the basement, we still got some stock and a few ads and things to get up, just in case," Stansberry said. "Yeah, I just, you know, rely on my community. They've been so good to me and hopefully, they'll be good again, if we need them. And I'm sure they will be."
Davenport Public Works helps with sandbagging during flood times. The department helped Stansberry with that flood protection in 2019. He said his bar required around 3,000 sandbags in 2019.
To reduce your flood risk, the City of Davenport recommends getting a sewer check valve to avoid a sewer backup. The City also wants residents to know where your shut-off for gas, electrical and water is. To find more ways to reduce your flood risk, click/tap here.
The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities is releasing weekly flood reports until a flood threat is no longer imminent. The next one is set to be released Thursday, April 20.