County emergency management officials are preparing for high water as runoff from heavy rainfall in the Ohio Valley and other areas of the upper Mississippi River system are expected put the river’s level eight feet above its 43-foot flood stage here by Jan 15.

The National Weather Service has put Warren County under a flood warning from Monday afternoon until further notice.

“We are looking at a significant flooding event,” Warren County Emergency Management Director John Elfer said. “The National Weather Service is predicting the Mississippi at Vicksburg to be at 51 feet by Jan. 15.” He said county officials will participate in a National Weather Service conference call on river conditions at the emergency management office Monday at 2:30 p.m.

The 51-foot level is about six feet below the record 57.1-foot crest set in the 2011 spring Mississippi River flood.

The Mississippi’s current stage here is 35.61 feet. The river is predicted to be at 37.3 feet Tuesday, 38.3 feet by Wednesday, and 39.6 feet by Friday.

At 51 feet, Elfer said, water will be over Mississippi 456, the main road to Eagle Lake, forcing residents there to use the back levee road to get to Vicksburg and other areas. The levee on which the road runs, however, is being elevated and the road is closed in spots between Eagle Lake and Chotard Resort.

He said the high water should not make U.S. 61 north and south impassible, “but there will be flooding on the west side of the highway. Areas like LeTourneau will be under water.”

Closer to the city, high water will affect the Chickasaw community and areas in the Kings community and Ford Subdivision.

“It looks like it will be a long January,” Elfer said.

Other local areas impacted include:

• At 36.5 feet water begins to affect the Long Lake Community, and the low road to Kings Island becomes impassable.

• At 38.8 feet, the Vicksburg floodwall Gate at Crawford Street is closed.

• At 39.5 feet, Long Lake Road to Eagle Lake Road becomes impassable about 1 mile north of the Long Lake Community.

• At 40.5 feet, Shady Lane Drive becomes impassable, and Long Lake Road becomes impassable just north of Cypress Drive.