(Des Moines Register) During the historic flooding in July 1993, the Mississippi River near Davenport rose to its highest level ever: 22.63 feet.

That record is no more.

The river hit 22.64 feet shortly before noon Thursday, the National Weather Service reported, and the water continues to rise.

The river is expected to reach 22.7 feet by Friday, the weather service said. Even with a dry weekend, it’s not projected to fall below 22 feet until late Sunday.</s>Heavy rains could cause the Mississippi River to soon crest again, just days after doing so, according to the National Weather Service.

And this week that crest — the highest point of a flood wave — could break more records.

The Mississippi has already crested at all locations, but "several rounds of rain" expected next week could cause more — and even higher — crests, according to a NWS report published Saturday by the service's Quad Cities office.

As many as two more weather systems could blow through the area between Monday and Thursday, bringing with them up to four inches of additional rain, according to the report.

► More: Mississippi River in Davenport now higher than historic 1993 flood levels — and rising

If the maximum predicted precipitation total does fall, the river will likely continue rising, potentially leading to higher crests, officials said.

The Mississippi River near Davenport broke its record crest of 22.63 feet set during historic 1993 floods on Thursday when waters reached 22.64 feet, contributing to the inundation of the city as water poured past a failed HESCO barrier.

The river will remain in flood stages through most of May, the weather service predicts.

Anna Spoerre is a breaking news reporter at the Des Moines Register. She can be reached by email at aspoerre@dmreg.com, by phone at 515-284-8387, or on Twitter at @annaspoerre.</s>The Latest: Mississippi River closed to vessels at St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Latest on flooding in the Midwest (all times local):

The Mississippi River is now closed to all vessel traffic at St. Louis, the result of severe flooding.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday shut down the river for a five-mile stretch, citing not only the extremely high water but also the swift current.

The river is already more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) above flood stage at St. Louis and expected to rise another 4 feet (1.2 meters) by Monday.

Closure of river traffic at one of the largest cities on the Mississippi is a huge blow for commerce since many goods are shipped on barges up and down the river.

It isn't clear when the river will reopen at St. Louis.

The latest round of Midwestern flooding has claimed at least three lives, closed hundreds of roads and forced residents of threatened towns to shore up threatened levees with sandbags as waters rise to historic levels in some communities.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Friday along a large swath of the Mississippi River, as well as flash flood watches for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas after recent rounds of heavy rain.

In southwest Missouri, authorities are searching for a paddler whose kayak overturned in a flooded creek, one day after finding the body of his friend, 23-year-old Alex Ekern. They were among three men who began paddling Wednesday afternoon on Bull Creek near the small town of Walnut Shade when they were swept over a low-water bridge.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says one of the kayakers was eventually swept downstream, climbed a steep bank and sought help.

Flooding also claimed the life of a camper who was found Wednesday after he was caught in waters from an overflowed creek near the town of Ava, also in southwest Missouri. And in northern Indiana, a 2-year-old was killed when his mother drove onto a flooded road.

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for Friday for parts of southern Missouri and stretches of the state along the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi is expected to crest Friday afternoon in Hannibal at the third-highest level on records. The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that the height of the city's flood gates and levee will be raised as a precaution. Hannibal Board of Public Works general manager Heath Hall says that community is "preparing for the worst" but was hopeful that "reality is better."

The surging Mississippi also was causing problems in West Alton, where the town's 500 or so residents were under a voluntary evacuation.

Along the Osage River, high waters are inundating campsites at the Mari-Osa Campground.</s>The fast-rising Mississippi River on Thursday neared levels unseen since the historic 1993 flood — and topped it in at least one place — as the bulging Big Muddy threatened levees and forced a Missouri town's residents to head for higher ground.

The National Weather Service website on Thursday afternoon showed the river level at 22.64 feet at the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois, just above the 22.63-foot mark reached on July 9, 1993.

Davenport is one of the Quad Cities, and its downtown remained underwater after the river tore through a temporary barrier earlier in the week. Davenport has no permanent levee or floodwall.

Davenport wasn't the only community along the Mississippi experiencing a flashback to 1993, the benchmark for catastrophic flooding in much of the Midwest. Thousands of acres of farmland were already swamped, hundreds of roads shut down and two Mississippi River bridges — one at Quincy, Illinois, and one at Louisiana, Missouri — were forced to close.

Sandbagging — an almost-annual ritual in many river towns — was underway, even in places with flood protection. A levee holds back the river at downtown Hannibal, Missouri, but each day brings a higher crest prediction. Volunteers are adding sandbags to the levee just in case.

Sandbagging isn't an option at West Alton, Missouri, because the levee is so long, so the 500 or so residents were under a voluntary evacuation. The river is expected to crest Saturday half a foot higher than the levee at the town 20 miles north of St. Louis can hold.

West Alton Emergency Management Director Gary Machens and friends were busy moving farm equipment to higher ground. He was taking the whole thing in stride.

"We've been through this before," Machens said. "It's part of living in a flood plain."

The latest round of flooding was spurred by torrents of rain, and river flooding wasn't the only concern.

Parts of the Ozarks region of Missouri received up to 6 inches of rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning, prompting flash flooding that forced hasty evacuations in some areas.

The body of Robbie Turner, 59, of Ava, Missouri, was found Wednesday. Authorities believe he was camping alone near Ava and got caught in waters from a flooded creek.

In northern Indiana, authorities say a 2-year-old boy was killed on Thursday when his mother drove past a "high water" sign in Wabash County and into a flooded road. The vehicle was swept by the current and completely submerged. The mother escaped but was unable to rescue the child, whose body was later found inside the vehicle.

Heavy rain in Michigan swamped homes and closed a stretch of a freeway near Detroit, where sandbags were stacked to curb flooding near canals off the Detroit River. More heavy rain through Friday morning raised concerns about additional flash flooding.

AP reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Missouri; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and David Runk in Detroit contributed to this report.</s>WSIL -- The Midwest and much of the Mississippi River Valley are bracing for historical flooding after another round of heavy rain fell this week.

Upstream, the Mississippi River at the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois reached a new record high Thursday according to our sister station WGEM.

The river reached a height of 22.64 feet, just above the 22.63-foot mark reached on July 9, 1993.

Levees are threatened and people are being forced to higher ground.

This comes after parts of downtown Davenport, Iowa remained underwater after the river tore through a temporary barrier.

In West Alton, Missouri, which sits about 20 miles north of St. Louis, residents were under a voluntary evacuation as the river was expected to crest a half-foot higher than the levee can hold. Since the levee is so long, officials say sandbagging is not an option.

All of that water is heading down stream and will pass through river towns in southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, and western Kentucky.

Friday morning, the National Weather Service was projecting the Mississippi River at Chester to rise to 43.6 feet by Monday. This height would put the river more than three and a half feet over major flood stage and the fifth highest crest on record.

At Cape Girardeau, the river was expected to rise to 45.5 feet by Tuesday, just three and a half feet shy of the record crest set in 2016. This level would by the eighth highest on record.

At just 42', several homes and structures in southern Cape Girardeau County are impacted from backwater flooding in the Diversion Channel and evacuations may be required.</s>(Bloomberg) — The Mississippi River broke a quarter-century flooding record at Rock Island, Illinois. For now, it’s seen as a fairly isolated event — as long as rain eases.

Levels rose 7.7 feet (2.3 meters) above flood stage as of 8 a.m. local time, the National Weather Service said. Rock Island is about 175 miles (282 kilometers) west of Chicago. The previous record was set in June 1993 when the upper Mississippi and Missouri Rivers broke their banks, inundating the Midwest countryside.

While the Mississippi is high now and the region has had a lot of rain and snow in the last few months, in 1993 “we had rain after rain after rain throughout the spring and summer,’’ said Justin Palmer, a hydrologist with the U.S. North Central River Forecast Center in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

“It is kind of a one-off right now,’’ Palmer said. “But the potential is there as we get more rain for the river to stay high. We are definitely vulnerable to a rain event.’’

About 1.5 to 2 inches of rain is forecast to fall across Iowa and Illinois through May 10, the U.S. Weather Prediction Center said. From January to March, much of the Midwest have had among their top 10 rainy and snowiest seasons.

Since Jan. 1 through Thursday, 15.1 inches of rain fell in Davenport, Iowa, across the river from Rock Island.

High water on the Mississippi has persisted for months, slowing shipments of grain, fuel and chemicals. CME Group Inc., owner of the Chicago Board of Trade, declared force majeure due to load-out impossibility at a majority of corn and soybean regular shipping stations on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers.</s>ST. LOUIS — The Latest on flooding in the Midwest (all times local):

The Mississippi River is now closed to all vessel traffic at St. Louis, the result of severe flooding.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday shut down the river for a five-mile stretch, citing not only the extremely high water but also the swift current.

The river is already more than 8 feet (2.4 metres) above flood stage at St. Louis and expected to rise another 4 feet (1.2 metres) by Monday.

Closure of river traffic at one of the largest cities on the Mississippi is a huge blow for commerce since many goods are shipped on barges up and down the river.

It isn’t clear when the river will reopen at St. Louis.

The latest round of Midwestern flooding has claimed at least three lives, closed hundreds of roads and forced residents of threatened towns to shore up threatened levees with sandbags as waters rise to historic levels in some communities.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Friday along a large swath of the Mississippi River, as well as flash flood watches for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas after recent rounds of heavy rain.

In southwest Missouri, authorities are searching for a paddler whose kayak overturned in a flooded creek, one day after finding the body of his friend, 23-year-old Alex Ekern. They were among three men who began paddling Wednesday afternoon on Bull Creek near the small town of Walnut Shade when they were swept over a low-water bridge.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says one of the kayakers was eventually swept downstream, climbed a steep bank and sought help.

Flooding also claimed the life of a camper who was found Wednesday after he was caught in waters from an overflowed creek near the town of Ava, also in southwest Missouri. And in northern Indiana, a 2-year-old was killed when his mother drove onto a flooded road.

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for Friday for parts of southern Missouri and stretches of the state along the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi is expected to crest Friday afternoon in Hannibal at the third-highest level on records. The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that the height of the city’s flood gates and levee will be raised as a precaution. Hannibal Board of Public Works general manager Heath Hall says that community is “preparing for the worst” but was hopeful that “reality is better.”

The surging Mississippi also was causing problems in West Alton, where the town’s 500 or so residents were under a voluntary evacuation.

Along the Osage River, high waters are inundating campsites at the Mari-Osa Campground.</s>The Latest: Mississippi River closed to vessels at St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Latest on flooding in the Midwest (all times local):

The Mississippi River is now closed to all vessel traffic at St. Louis, the result of severe flooding.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Friday shut down the river for a five-mile stretch, citing not only the extremely high water but also the swift current.

The river is already more than 8 feet (2.4 meters) above flood stage at St. Louis and expected to rise another 4 feet (1.2 meters) by Monday.

Closure of river traffic at one of the largest cities on the Mississippi is a huge blow for commerce since many goods are shipped on barges up and down the river.

It isn't clear when the river will reopen at St. Louis.

The latest round of Midwestern flooding has claimed at least three lives, closed hundreds of roads and forced residents of threatened towns to shore up threatened levees with sandbags as waters rise to historic levels in some communities.

The National Weather Service issued flood warnings Friday along a large swath of the Mississippi River, as well as flash flood watches for parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas after recent rounds of heavy rain.

In southwest Missouri, authorities are searching for a paddler whose kayak overturned in a flooded creek, one day after finding the body of his friend, 23-year-old Alex Ekern. They were among three men who began paddling Wednesday afternoon on Bull Creek near the small town of Walnut Shade when they were swept over a low-water bridge.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol says one of the kayakers was eventually swept downstream, climbed a steep bank and sought help.

Flooding also claimed the life of a camper who was found Wednesday after he was caught in waters from an overflowed creek near the town of Ava, also in southwest Missouri. And in northern Indiana, a 2-year-old was killed when his mother drove onto a flooded road.

The National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for Friday for parts of southern Missouri and stretches of the state along the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi is expected to crest Friday afternoon in Hannibal at the third-highest level on records. The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that the height of the city's flood gates and levee will be raised as a precaution. Hannibal Board of Public Works general manager Heath Hall says that community is "preparing for the worst" but was hopeful that "reality is better."

The surging Mississippi also was causing problems in West Alton, where the town's 500 or so residents were under a voluntary evacuation.

Along the Osage River, high waters are inundating campsites at the Mari-Osa Campground.</s>ST. LOUIS — The fast-rising Mississippi River on Thursday neared levels unseen since the historic 1993 flood — and topped it in at least one place — as the bulging Big Muddy threatened levees and forced a Missouri town’s residents to head for higher ground.

The National Weather Service website on Thursday afternoon showed the river level at 22.64 feet at the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois, just above the 22.63-foot mark reached on July 9, 1993.

Davenport is one of the Quad Cities, and its downtown remained underwater after the river tore through a temporary barrier earlier in the week. Davenport has no permanent levee or floodwall.

Davenport wasn’t the only community along the Mississippi experiencing a flashback to 1993, the benchmark for catastrophic flooding in much of the Midwest. Thousands of acres of farmland were already swamped, hundreds of roads shut down and two Mississippi River bridges — one at Quincy, Illinois, and one at Louisiana, Missouri — were forced to close.

Sandbagging — an almost-annual ritual in many river towns — was underway, even in places with flood protection. A levee holds back the river at downtown Hannibal, Missouri, but each day brings a higher crest prediction. Volunteers are adding sandbags to the levee just in case.

Sandbagging isn’t an option at West Alton, Missouri, because the levee is so long, so the 500 or so residents were under a voluntary evacuation. The river is expected to crest Saturday half a foot higher than the levee at the town 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of St. Louis can hold.

West Alton Emergency Management Director Gary Machens and friends were busy moving farm equipment to higher ground. He was taking the whole thing in stride.

“We’ve been through this before,” Machens said. “It’s part of living in a flood plain.”

The latest round of flooding was spurred by torrents of rain, and river flooding wasn’t the only concern.

Parts of the Ozarks region of Missouri received up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning, prompting flash flooding that forced hasty evacuations in some areas.

The body of Robbie Turner, 59, of Ava, Missouri, was found Wednesday. Authorities believe he was camping alone near Ava and got caught in waters from a flooded creek.

In northern Indiana, authorities say a 2-year-old boy was killed on Thursday when his mother drove past a “high water” sign in Wabash County and into a flooded road. The vehicle was swept by the current and completely submerged. The mother escaped but was unable to rescue the child, whose body was later found inside the vehicle.

Heavy rain in Michigan swamped homes and closed a stretch of a freeway near Detroit, where sandbags were stacked to curb flooding near canals off the Detroit River. More heavy rain through Friday morning raised concerns about additional flash flooding.</s>Fog covered the flooded city of Davenport, Iowa, on May 3, as Mississippi River levels continued to rise and flood the Quad City area. The Mississippi River flood crest all-time record in Quad Cities region of Iowa, previously set in 1993, was surpassed as water levels reached 22.64 feet on May 2, and continued to rise, according to the National Weather Service. The flood crest surpassed 24 feet in Illinois City on May 3, according to the NWS. Credit: Joe Soliz via Storyful
The Mississippi River rises to its highest level since the 1993 floods at the Quad Cities in Illinois and Iowa.