![]() City staff also ask that the public avoid areas where they are working on flood control so they can complete this critical work as quickly and safely as possible," the city wrote on Facebook. "The public is reminded to be cautious around the river and floodwall and to avoid flooded areas and follow all traffic detours. The city is still warning residents to proceed with caution over the next few days while river levels continue to rise. "Now we've got to get through the next three or four days of rain but I think we will be in good shape." "That's all going in the right direction," Klostermann said. Klostermann said the city also is employing further flood prevention tactics at Schmitt Island, which is not protected by the city's flood wall. The post said the remaining four floodgates will be closed by the end of the week, which is only the third time in history all the floodgates have been closed since the system was implemented in 1973. "Public Works staff have also closed 13 of the 17 floodgates along the river and are operating four permanent pumping stations and three temporary pumps 24/7 to convey water over the floodwall and into the river." "The floodwall/levee protecting most of the city is operating as designed and City staff are now monitoring it around the clock for any signs of issues," the city wrote in a Facebook post. However, city Public Works Director John Klostermann said the city's floodwall and other prevention protocols have spared the city from any damage so far even as water levels continue to rise. The city and surrounding areas are facing major flood risks as river levels have already risen to nearly 24 feet by Thursday afternoon. The river is expected to reach up to 24.7 feet by Saturday afternoon or evening. The city of Dubuque is preparing for the third-highest crest ever recorded. Dubuque prepares to close all floodgates for only the 3rd time The police department has closed both east and west lanes of River Drive from Rockingham Road to Bettendorf as a result of the flooding. If water levels reach the maximum prediction of 22.5 feet, it will be the third-highest crest in recorded history. ![]() ![]() The river is expected to crest between 21.5 and 22.5 feet May 1 to May 3. As of Thursday afternoon, river water levels had risen to nearly 20 feet, according to the NWS office based in the Quad Cities. River levels there are still nearly a week away from their peak, according to the National Weather Service.ĭavenport and surrounding cities like Rock Island are currently at major flood stage. ![]() Water flowed over riverbanks in Davenport on Wednesday morning, flooding nearby roads and parking lots. Coupled with some heavier rain in eastern Iowa, Haase said, conditions were ripe for potentially record-breaking flooding. "Twin Cities had anywhere from 90 to 100 inches (of snow), and that's like 40 to 50 inches above normal."Īfter that high volume of snow accumulated in the north, Haase said, the region experienced temperatures that reached between 80 and 90 degrees, which quickly melted the snow and sent it off south down the river. "(The river) just can't handle that rapid of a snowmelt when you've had that much snow that has occurred to the north," he said. The potential record-breaking flooding is a result of a rapid snowmelt from the north that's making its way into the Mississippi River, according to Haase. ![]()
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