ST. LOUIS – Some drought-starved Midwestern rivers that had been near record low levels were on the verge of flooding Wednesday, after storms dumped up to 3 inches of rain on some parts of the region.

Forecasters said rivers would see a dramatic, if temporary, rise over the next few days, with some waterways expected to swell by as much as 15 feet. Even the Mississippi River is expected to rise by up to 10 feet in areas between St. Louis and Cairo. Although the Mississippi will remain far below flood stage, several smaller rivers are expected to spill over their banks.

“Just the fact that we’re in a drought and talking about flooding is pretty amazing,” said Mark Fuchs, a hydrologist for the National Weather Service office in suburban St. Louis.