May 8, 2002
Major flooding of the Mississippi River occurred. The crest at Cape Girardeau, which was 45.7 feet, was the 4th highest on record and almost 14 feet above flood stage. The record crest of 48.5 feet occurred in August of 1993. At New Madrid, the crest was 42.6 feet, well above the flood stage of 34 feet. In areas with no levy protection, a small number of homes and other buildings were flooded. Only eight houses in Cape Girardeau were flooded, mainly in the Red Star neighborhood. Some other hous
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 5295680). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in New Madrid County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.