Topeka ? Leavenworth crews have placed large sandbags near the downtown community center in advance of rising water along the Missouri River.

Rows of the giant bags placed Thursday are part of the city’s efforts to prevent damage from the rising waters. Leavenworth is expecting a crest along the river of between 27 and 33 feet.

The river was at 20.6 feet Thursday, slightly above the 20-foot flood stage and holding steady.

Kansas Division of Emergency Management officials are staffing their operations center 24 hours a day to monitor flooding caused by excessive rain and snowmelt along the Missouri’s headwaters in Montana and the Dakotas.

State staff members have been meeting with local officials to go over final preparations as more water is released from upstream dams.