The Ohio at Cairo is already at moderate flood stage at 47 feet. It's forecast to reach 53.5 feet by next Tuesday, Feb. 19 and cause major flooding in the Cairo and Ballard County bottoms.
Minor flooding now at Shawneetown (38.2) and Paducah (40.6) will swell to 49 and 48 feet respectively by next Tuesday. That's enough for moderate flooding to occur.
Downstream from Cairo, the Mississippi at New Madrid will also rise from minor to moderate flooding by next Wednesday, Feb. 20. New Madrid's current river gauge of 34.1 feet will rise to 41 feet.
Moderate flooding will also build next week onto the Green River in Kentucky, as well as the Wabash and Little Wabash river system in Indiana and Illinois.
Cape Girardeau river levels -- upstream from Cairo -- are forecast to stay virtually the same during this period.
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