Mississippi River Flood Warning in Effect at Chester and Louisiana
The Mississippi River has topped flood stage at two locations, with warnings active through the weekend for Chester, Illinois and Louisiana, Missouri.
CHESTER, ILLINOIS — The National Weather Service office in St. Louis, Missouri issued active flood warnings Saturday for two locations along the Mississippi River, with minor flooding occurring at both Chester, Illinois and Louisiana, Missouri as of mid-morning June 20, 2026.
The warnings were issued at 10:59 a.m. CDT and cover conditions expected to persist through the weekend and into early next week, according to the National Weather Service.
River Levels and Current Conditions
At Chester, the Mississippi River measured 27.2 feet at 10:30 a.m. CDT Saturday, just above the flood stage threshold of 27.0 feet. At that level, unprotected farmland on the right bank of the river begins to flood, the National Weather Service reported.
The Chester flood warning remains in effect until Sunday evening, June 21, at 8:30 p.m. CDT. Forecasters expect the river to fall below flood stage sometime Saturday afternoon and continue dropping to 19.1 feet by Saturday, June 27.
At Louisiana, Missouri, the river stood at 15.2 feet at 10:30 a.m. CDT Saturday, also slightly above its flood stage of 15.0 feet. The flood warning for Louisiana runs until Monday morning, June 22, at 7:00 a.m. CDT.
Impacts at Louisiana, Missouri
At the 15.0-foot flood stage threshold, the first quarter mile of Edison Avenue beyond the railroad tracks begins flooding near Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters project the river at Louisiana will drop below flood stage just after midnight Saturday night, then continue falling to 12.0 feet by Saturday, June 27.
Both river forecasts are based on observed precipitation combined with forecast precipitation over the following 24 hours, the National Weather Service noted.
Flooding Classified as Minor
The National Weather Service characterized the flooding at both locations as minor. No additional alerts beyond the two flood warnings were issued for either site as of Saturday morning.
Residents and motorists in low-lying areas near the Mississippi River at Chester and Louisiana are advised to avoid flooded roadways and monitor updated forecasts from the National Weather Service in St. Louis.
