River reaches flood stage at La Crosse; crest possible by Wednesday

La Crosse is among the cities on the upper Mississippi where the river has reached flood stage this week, and the water could go up nearly two more feet before a local crest.

Water was up to the flood level of 12 feet in La Crosse by late Sunday afternoon, and parts of the levee downtown have been blocked off to pedestrians. A crest of 13.6 feet in La Crosse is predicted by Wednesday.

Other towns in the region where the flood level had been reached by Sunday, or is close, include St. Paul, Wabasha, and Trempealeau.

Forecasters now think that if the Mississippi does crest in La Crosse on Wednesday, it will fall slowly after that, going back down to 13 feet by next weekend.

The high water has not kept touring riverboats from making stops in La Crosse. The American Melody boat was docked at Riverside Park on Sunday.