It is getting better, albeit slowly.

With the rain having subsided, the Ohio River crested at 55.48 feet in the Ironton-Ashland area between 10 p.m. and midnight Sunday evening. Flood stage in the immediate area is 52 feet.

John Sikora, hydrometeorologist with the Charleston, W.Va., office of the National Weather Service, said the river crested at Portsmouth and at Greenup, Ky., at 2 a.m. this morning.

Although rain is in the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, Sikora said no significant amounts are expected.

"We expect the river to keep falling," Sikora said. "We're not expecting a lot of rain with this and if it does anything, it's going to slow the fall. We're not expecting any more rises."

Ironton street and flood wall workers erected flood gates Saturday, and the gates are expected to remain in place through today.

Meanwhile, travel is still being hampered by the high water.

According to reports from the Ohio Department of Transportation District 9, State Route 243 at Greasy Ridge Road, just north of State Route 7 at Bradrick

remains closed today, as does State Route 650 at U.S. Route 52 and Hanging Rock.

State Route 775, between State Routes 7 and 607 at Proctorville was closed for a time over the weekend but is open to traffic.

Jim O'Keefe, highway supervisor with the Lawrence County Engineer's Office, said Lawrence Street Road near the Storms Creek Apartments is closed, as is Hog Run Road near the old cement plant, County Road 123 at Chesapeake and Athalia Road at the village limits.

"It's just all backwater," O'Keefe said. "Everything up in that end is backwater, we don't have any flash flooding problems now."

Chesapeake schools were on a two-hour delay today due to high water.