May 1, 2017
A series of heavy rainfall events in April, followed by another heavy rainfall event in early May, kept the Mississippi and St. Francis Rivers above flood stage for all or most of the month. The Mississippi River flooding was major in many locations north of the confluence of the Ohio River. Rainfall totals from April 28-30 ranged from 6 to 10 inches across much of southern Illinois and southeast Missouri. The St. Francis River crested at a new record high at the Patterson gage.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 696826). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Cape Girardeau County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.