Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

QUINCY, ILL. -- UPDATED: February 21 at 4:46 p.m.

Ice jams forced water out of the banks of the Des Moines River and into some homes near Fort Dodge in northern Iowa, forcing more than a dozen people to evacuate their homes.

Some residents left their homes Saturday and Sunday.  Others stayed, sometimes moving possessions to higher floors.

No one was injured in the flooding, but a dozen homes were nearly destroyed with 3 to 4 feet of water sitting inside of them.

Flood warnings have been posted in north-central, northeast and southeast Iowa.

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The potential for spring snowmelt flooding continues to be much greater than normal along the Mississippi River this season.

Based on the conditions now, there is good risk of moderate to major category spring flooding during the spring snowmelt season.

While spring flooding is always a risk, it seems to be greater this year because of heavy snow pack in Minnesota and Wisconsin and near record soil moisture conditions for Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

According to the National Weather Service, focus is on the Mississippi tributaries.

Click here to read an article titled "NOAA: Another Spring of Major Flooding Likely in North Central U.S." (see map above)

You can also click here to see a detailed view of river flood forecasts that was provided by NOAA..

The potential for spring snowmelt flooding continues to be much greater than normal along the Mississippi River from near Dubuque down stream toward Gregory Landing, the Skunk River and La Moine Rivers all of which would impact the Tri-State area.

Currently minor flooding is occuring along the Mississippi in Lee, Marion, and Pike counties as well as counties along the Illinois river.

Gradual warming and gradual melting would be the best scenario to avoid major flooding.