(Radio Iowa) – Flooding is expected in eastern Iowa along the Mississippi River in the coming days. Alexander Gibbs is the lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in the Quad Cities.

The river has reached major flood stage in Dubuque. By Tuesday, the National Weather Service forecasts major flooding from Dubuque to just north of Burlington, with moderate flooding in Fort Madison. In northeast Iowa, the Weather Service predicts flood levels in places like McGregor may reach above the crest during major flooding in 2019. Gibbs says most of the water heading down the Mississippi is melted snow.

Gibbs says there’s not much rain in this week’s forecast. The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management is coordinating with emergency managers in counties along the Mississippi river corridor to check on their supplies of water pumps and sandbags and to offer technical assistance. The agency’s director is recommending that Iowans who live along the Mississippi River prepare for possible flooding and have an evacuation plan ready.