MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Officials in eastern Iowa and other states along the Mississippi River are preparing for record or near-record crests. The Rock Island gauge at Davenport showed the level Tuesday morning at a little more than a foot under the record crest of 22.6 feet set in July 1993. It’s expected to crest Wednesday evening a few inches short of the record.

The Muscatine gauge showed the river more than 3 feet below the July 1993 record of 25.6 feet. It’s expected to crest a little more than a foot under the record at Muscatine, where officials have placed new berms and are preparing to divert downtown traffic.

The National Weather Service says showers and thunderstorms are forecast through Wednesday afternoon, dropping enough rain to alter the predicted river crests.
The service also says storms and flash flooding are expected for portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.