Brussels Ferry closes amid rising water levels

BRUSSELS – The Brussels Ferry has been closed due to high water levels.

According to a post on the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page, the ferry is closed and there is water at the bottom of Toppmeyer Hill, which is en route to the ferry from the Calhoun side. The posting said the water is not deep and advised people to be patient and “let the water do its thing and go down a bit,” adding, “the Brussels Ferry and IDOT want to be open, trust us.”

These water levels are due to flooding in the area caused by extensive widespread rainfall in Northern Illinois and Iowa earlier this month. Grafton was predicted to crest at moderate levels Monday night into Tuesday morning, and Hardin is predicted to crest just below moderate levels Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to Monday predictions from the National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis.

Previous interviews with an NWS meteorologist predicted floodwaters will subside by the end of October in Grafton and Alton, and early November in Hardin.

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