Flood Update

It’s been one week since our post announcing the museum’s closing as a result of flooding. At the time, none of our buildings were affected, but NWS predicted the flood to crest at 37.5 ft. We closed the museum and began preparing for high water immediately.

The river is currently at 37.85 ft.

Flood stage and prediction as of 3:30 pm at the Hardin gauge.

Our hope is that this is the beginning of the end of the 2019 flood, however it is possible that the rivers could begin to rise again. Here are some pictures of what’s happening in Kampsville:

CAA Museum and Maynard building during the 2019 Flood on Monday, 6 May.

The current prediction is for the flood to hang around for a few days and then begin to drain. The Mississippi River at Grafton has already crested and is draining…for now.

Let’s hope it continues to do so!


The Center for American Archeology is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We depend on your generosity to fulfill our mission.

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It’s Flood Season ☹️

Notice: Our museum will close at 5 pm on May 1 in preparation for significant flooding in Kampsville. It will remain closed until further notice. 

Other scheduled CAA activities and programs are unaffected at this time.

Floods are a fact of life when you live in a river valley. The Illinois River has been out of its banks for a few weeks now, though not enough to impact our buildings and programs. That is going to change during the next few days.

The National Weather Service is predicting the Illinois River will reach 37.5 ft by next week as measured at the Hardin, IL, gauge. That means the flood will enter the museum. Floodwater enters the museum around 36.5 ft.

NWS flood prediction, 1 May 2019. No fun.

This will be the fifth time the river has flooded the museum since 2013. We hope the prediction is wrong and the museum will stay dry. Failing that, we hope the flood is brief. As of this post, the prediction at the downstream Grafton gauge near the confluence suggests the rivers may drain relatively soon. But, we’ve been misled before.

In the meantime, no other activities or programs are cancelled. Enrollments are open for programs and limited scholarship funds are available. Don’t miss out!


The Center for American Archeology is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We depend on your generosity to fulfill our mission.

Please show your support by becoming a member or donating today.