Mississippi River cresting, receding

ST. LOUIS, June 30 (UPI) -- Cleanup began Monday in Mississippi River communities upriver from St. Louis, as the river began to drop after swamping low-lying areas, officials said.

The river rose slowly in St. Louis, where it was predicted to crest Monday at 38.6 feet, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said.

Roads in Iowa, Missouri and Illinois remained closed even as the waters retreated, officials in all three states said. Officials warned that even if water were off the roadways, traveling could be dangerous because ground beneath the road could be compromised.

In Grafton, Mo., authorities had to keep sightseers off Highway 100, which remained flooded.

The National Weather Service in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois said the Mississippi would fall below flood stage of 18 feet to moderate levels Monday, The Hawk Eye newspaper in Burlington, Iowa, reported.

The river could fall back into its banks by the weekend, Mike McClure, an NWS meteorologist said.

"It does look like it's falling a little bit faster than forecast, which is good news," he said. "We may be able to bump that up a day."