ST. LOUIS - Flooding along the Illinois River could spell trouble for southern portions of the state in the coming weeks.
The National Weather Service in St. Louis says there’s a high risk for major flooding along portions of the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries. Towns in southern Illinois and eastern Missouri are especially vulnerable.
A flood warning for the Illinois River at Peoria has expired, but minor flooding is still possible for portions of the river near Henry and Havana.
Forecasters say snowpack and soil moisture levels are unusually high in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. As that snow melts when the weather warms, much of the water ends up in the Mississippi and the rivers that feed into it.
Weather officials add that even an average amount of spring rain could cause major flooding.
