St. Paul prepares for rising Mississippi River
by The Associated Press

ST. PAUL -- The Mississippi River will hit flood stage in downtown St. Paul as early as Friday, and city officials say they're ready.

The National Weather Service is predicting the river will rise to 19 feet, or four feet above flood stage.

Minnesota Public Radio reports that Mayor Chris Coleman has declared an emergency, which allows the city to request assistance from higher levels of government if needed.

City emergency management director Rick Larkin says he expects some traffic problems, but if river holds at that level the city's flood-protection measures should hold.

The downtown airport, Holman Field, will get to test the new floodwall built after the 2001 flood. Temporary parts of the wall are going up this week, closing two of the airport's three runways.