Officials continue close watch on river levels.
As President Bush declared several counties in Iowa disaster areas Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Davenport forecast rain that will likely raise river levels in the region again. With these showers and thunderstorms, it's difficult to tell where the heaviest amounts are going to fall and what effect it will have. The Mississippi River was at 20.3 feet in Burlington Wednesday, still more than five feet above flood stage. Weather service officials predict the river will sink to 19.9 feet by Friday and rise to 20.5 feet again by Monday. Gina Hardin, Des Moines County emergency management director, pleased by the disaster declaration, is confident the levee systems and preventative measures will continue to hold.