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Rain keeps rivers above flood stage

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By Linda Cook | Sunday, May 11, 2008 |

A motorist goes through water bubbling up from a man hole cover on East River Drive near Federal Street in Davenport Sunday. (Jeff Cook/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

Rain that swept over the Quad-Cities in the last two days has prolonged the flooding in the area, but rivers will begin to recede later this week.

Lavern Cole, superintendent of street and sewer maintenance for the city of Davenport, says that no roads are closed tonight in the city, but River Drive and Federal are down to one lane heading each direction.

The partial closure, “Could be for most of the night, but we hope to have it open Monday morning,” he said.

Manhole covers on River Drive blew off, he said. “From the interceptor line backing up through the system, the pressure was enough to raise those lids up. They’re about 160-pound lids — that’s a lot of pressure.”

Pumps are in place at Marquette Street and River Drive and the Garden Addition near Floral Lane, he said.

Terry Simmons, meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said skies will be clear tonight. “You’ll see stars tonight,” she said.

Monday will be warmer, with highs in the upper 60s. “It’s going to feel a lot more like spring,” she said.

Rivers will swell from the rain, which was reported from 1 to 3 inches across the area, she said. The rain fell in a band “along and south of Interstate 80 from Washington, Iowa, to Cambridge (Ill.),” she said. “And in the Walcott area they had more than 2 inches, with 3.7 inches at Cambridge since last night.

“It was a large quantity falling on top of already-high rivers,” she said.

“Some of these rivers that were down in the last few days are going to come back up.” Moderate flooding is expected at DeWitt, Iowa, which should be below flood stage Thursday. Lock and Dam 15 “might come up a foot or so” then go below food stage Friday or Saturday. On the Rock River at Joslin, Ill., which has been in a flood stage since March, “it’s just going to delay the fall of the river. It’s not going to drop below flood stage until May 17,” Simmons said. The rain “just makes it more prolonged rather than a quick drop like people would appreciate at this time.”

There’s another chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday night, continuing a pattern of rain about every three days, Simmons said.

Wednesday will be partly sunny, with highs in the middle 60s. Thursday through Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with highs in the middle 60s and lows in the middle 40s.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.