Melinda Leonard
Underwater Parking
Melinda Leonard
The river was knocking on the back door of Cassens Bait Shop on West Main Street in Grafton Sunday, but, so far, the water has stayed out of the building and the business remains open. Owner Dave Cassens said he has been forced to vacate the building six times since he bought it in 1993, the year of the Great Flood. "The day I took possession, water was coming in the back door," Cassens said.
The high-rising Mississippi River has turned this house into an island retreat on West Main Street in Grafton, Ill. Flood stage at Grafton was 23.2 feet Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Minor flooding remains in the forecast for Grafton, with the Mississippi expected to crest at 23.6 feet Thursday morning. Flood stage in Grafton is 18 feet.