DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Upper Mississippi River will rise to near record-high levels as it flows through Wisconsin and Iowa, but officials are confident they can hold back the water thanks to flood walls, temporary barriers and wetlands plus some dry weather. The Mississippi already has crested by Wednesday in St. Paul, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin, but it will be days before it begins falling in areas to the south. The high water is due to the quick melting of a giant snowpack in northern Minnesota. Despite the flooding in northern stretches of the river, states to the south aren’t expected to flood because tributaries in Midwest states are running lower than usual.
