Holt and Atchison counties in Northwest Missouri are prepping for flood waters that could come by this weekend.

The increase in flow upstream has prompted emergency officials to issue voluntary evacuations throughout the river basin.

In Holt County, sandbagging efforts are picking up steam as sandbagging machines will be delivered to several rural communities later this week, County Clerk Kathy Kunkel said.

“We have a sand station in the city of Forrest City, in Mound City and in Craig,” Kunkel said.  All of those sandbagging operations will be spun up in the next couple of days as we get sandbagging machines, volunteers and some other resources we requested from SEMA(State Emergency Management Agency).”

A State of Emergency has already been declared in Atchison County.  The National Weather Service predicts the river to rise to 23 feet at Rulo, Kunkel said.

“They are showing a 23 foot river through Saturday at this time.  A lot of our Corps resources are showing us at the four foot stage by the weeks end,” Kunkel said.

Those same levels were reached last year, in 2007 and in 1993.  The big concern is how the levees will hold up to all the pressure depending on how long the high waters stick around.

“All levees have been repaired since last year,” Kunkel said.  “We feel like we are in good condition.”