JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri River at Jefferson City is expected to remain at a moderate flood stage over the weekend.
On Thursday afternoon, river levels were recorded at its Jefferson City gauge at 25.01 feet. The river enters a moderate flood stage at this gauge at heights of 25 feet or higher. This is the first time the river levels have reached moderate flood stage levels since July 7.
The river is expected to crest at approximately 26 feet Saturday. The threshold for a major flood stage at the Jefferson City gauge is at 30 feet.
Michelle Kidwell, director of the Callaway County Emergency Management Agency, said that despite none of the breached levees being repaired since this summer's flooding, she doesn't believe there is a reason for concern.
"It's close, but I don't think they will be affected. It's when the river levels reach around 27 feet when people get concerned," Kidwell said.
She added people are concerned the levees have yet to be repaired after this summer's historic flooding. The gauge at Jefferson City reached 33.44 feet, the fourth highest recorded.
She said some levee districts have temporarily patched their breached levees with various solutions, including sandbags. She cited the wet soil resulting from the flooding as a factor in the levee repairs taking so long.
"If we get surmountable levels of water, we'll be right back in the same place we were this summer," Kidwell said.
Kidwell said the levees near the Jefferson City gauge are not uniform in height, but she had not received any calls from the districts as of Thursday.
According to the NWS, the river reached moderate flood levels on Thursday morning and is expected to remain until Monday afternoon. The river is forecasted to quickly drop approximately 5 feet from Monday to Thursday.