The Mississippi River took center stage in 2011, flooding in Vicksburg and Warren County not once but twice in the spring.

Initial forecasts of a second dramatic rise in the river came just weeks after the river’s first topping of the 43-foot flood stage, cresting April 1 at 43.3 feet.

On April 25, officials announced the river was expected to rise to 52.5 feet, its highest level since 1937.

They were wrong.

Before the great Mississippi Flood of 2011 receded, 46 days after topping flood stage again April 30, the river:

• Rose to a new record, cresting May 19 at 57.1 feet, more than 14 feet above flood stage;

• Displaced more than 3,200 people in Vicksburg and Warren County from 707 homes, with an additional 600 structures evacuated;

• Closed U.S. 61 North at Redwood and U.S. 61 South at the Big Black River, along with Mississippi 465 into the Eagle Lake community, North Washington Street and numerous side roads;

• Caused the evacuation of Redwood Elementary School, with students having to move into Sherman Avenue Elementary-Warren Central Intermediate just days before they had to take mandated state tests;

• Canceled rail service from City Front to the Port of Vicksburg;

• Temporarily shut down businesses including International Paper, Anderson-Tully Lumber and Ameristar and Rainbow casinos;

• Brought wild hogs, alligators, snakes and other creatures into homes, parks and developments;

• And inundated millions of acres of crop land.

When it was over, officials, farmers and residents, especially in north Warren County and the lower Delta, lauded the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, whose levees held for their greatest challenge since 1927.

Of recent floods, in 2008 the river topped out at 50.9 feet, the highest since 1973 when it reached 51.6 feet. The benchmark 1927 flood reached 56.2 feet on today’s gauges and 62 feet had levees held.