By Angela Hatton
Paducah, KY – National Weather Service hydrologists are forecasting major flooding in western Kentucky and southern Illinois in the coming weeks. Hydrologist Mary Lamb expects between 2 and 5 inches of rain this weekend. Lamb says another 2 to 5 inches could fall Monday through Wednesday. She says that will engorge an already flooded Ohio River.
"I don't want to scare people, but some of the numbers being thrown out are pretty scary themselves. Here in the Paducah area, we could be looking at numbers greater than the '97 flood, and the '97 flood hit a little under 52 feet. At Cairo, we're looking at major to record flooding. And at Cape Girardeau, we're looking at numbers in excess of the '95 floods and in '95 it hit a little under 47 feet."
The NWS will have a better idea next week of how much the river will rise. Lamb says the most danger of flooding could be between May 1 and 4. Other waterways in the region could also experience high water. Dam workers at Kentucky and Barkley lakes have released water to make room for rainfall tonight. Storms are expected to begin moving through the region after 6 PM.