Not as high as expected

The rising Mississippi River shouldn't cause more than some minor flooding in Red Wing's riverside parks, according to the most recent prediction released Friday by the National Weather Service.

Water from last week's heavy rain showers is expected to raise the river up to 13.7 feet in Red Wing by Tuesday; flood stage is 14 feet.

"Fortunately for Red Wing, it won't be going as high as we expected," said Diane Cooper, a NWS Hydrologist.

That level will be enough to flood Levee Road and parts of Bay Point, Levee and Colvill Parks, Red Wing Public Works director Rick Moskwa said. City employees already have placed sandbags around some park buildings as a pre-cautionary measure.

"Staff will monitor the situation closely," he said.

Levee Road near Bay Point Park was barricaded Friday as floodwaters rose over the roadway. Moskwa said that likely will be the only city street affected by flooding.

Flood projections varied elsewhere along the river. In St. Paul, the NWS predicts major flooding that could come close to placing parts of Harriet Island under water.

Wabasha, which faced minor flooding early this week, should see waters slide slowly beneath flood stage by late next week.

So why do such disparities exist between communities along the same river?

Cooper said it comes down to two things: volume and development.

Tributaries that feed into the Mississippi - such as the Cannon River or the St. Croix River -- impact the volume of water directly downstream. It's why Wabasha, which sits directly downstream from the Chippewa River, faced flooding this week while Lake City to the north was spared.

The other factor is where communities are built, Cooper said. Communities built higher above the river have a higher flood stage.

"They can handle a lot more water and not have any impact," she said.

Tags: floods, weather, red wing, mississippi river, news