New Madrid spared from flooding

NEW MADRID, MO (KRCU) - New Madrid has been spared much of the flooding damage and devastation that other communities have felt this spring.

The city’s levees have held. Pumping stations are removing backwater from city streets.

A series of eight to ten sand boils have appeared on streets along the levee. New Madrid city administrator John Gilbert says that they are under control, but he expects more sand boils to bubble up from time to time.

"And so the minute we see one, we plug it," Gilbert said. "So we have not had too much problem with them yet. We’re expecting more streets to kind of give way and maybe some sewer lines to sink. We’re going to have some problems after the fact like many cities."

Gilbert believes that opening up the Birds Point-New Madrid floodway helped relieve pressure at New Madrid and other communities along the Mississippi.

Jacob McCleland, KRCU

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Mississippi River crests at most places in Missouri

The Mississippi River has crested at most points in Missouri.

The river at Cairo was at 58.3 feet as of 4 a.m. this morning, and it will continue to fall. Despite the falling river, the mandatory evacuation for Cairo remains in place.

The river has also crested at New Madrid and is beginning to fall. The river level this morning is at 47.5 feet.

And the Mississippi is finally falling, albeit slowly, at Caruthersville. The river t is at 47.2 feet this morning. It crested at 47.6 feet on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports the river is 3 miles across at Memphis. The river is typically one-half mile wide. The river is expected to crest on Tuesday at 48 feet at Memphis. The record crest is 48.7 feet. The record was set in the 1937 flood.

This is the first time that the Mississippi has exceeded 41 feet since 1937.

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River continues to rise at New Madrid

The Mississippi River is expected to crest New Madrid at 50 feet around mid-day on Sunday, before levels begin a long drop to more normal levels. The River was at 48.28 feet at 3:00 a.m. this morning, which sets the record for the highest river levels in New Madrid’s history. The previous high water mark was set in 1937.

New Madrid has already seen major flooding. Residents have been sandbagging for days. Many homes and businesses have evacuated and heavy property damage is expected in the area, according to New Madrid’s Chamber of Commerce. Major damage to agricultural lands is also expected.

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