Rising rivers in southeast Iowa are approaching high points that haven’t been hit in 14 years. The water level of the Des Moines River in Van Buren County is reaching the record set in 1993.
The Des Moines River bridge on Highway 1 in Keosauqua is being closely watched by the Iowa DOT as the river continues to rise. The National Weather Service issued a flood warning and reported the river was at 27.4 feet, and looks to crest around 32.5 feet early this afternoon.
That’s just a couple of a tenths of foot below the record crest set during the Flood of ’93. Flood stage is 22.0 feet, and flooding occurs at 28 feet. The threat of additional heavy rain and storms is expected to move out of the area by midnight, allowing things to dry out over the weekend.