There was a lot of rain. There were inch totals that should be used to measure new shoes, not rain.

It just kept raining, here, there, everywhere. There were even a few making the normal Ark jokes.

As rain fell in December, we simply thought it was wet. We wondered when it would get cold, when it would stop raining and if it there would be pretty weather for children to enjoy their new bikes on Christmas morning.

But, it kept raining.

Now, the impact of that rain is slowly making its way to Vicksburg.

As we continue to monitor the flood stages from Greenville to Natchez, wait for the latest crest updates from the National Weather Service and sit in amazement at the innovative engineering and techniques used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, we realize that all we can do is wait.

There are efforts in place to curb the impact of the Mississippi River flooding. There are brigades of work crews and volunteers stacking up sandbags, building flood walls and law enforcement is continuing to update residents in affected areas and keeping roads open as long as possible.

With the impact of the historic impact of the 2011 flood fresh on our mind, it is easy for us to sit back and worry. But it is far more important for us to not worry, but respond.

Even though our downtown is located on the waterfront, very few of our downtown merchants are in the path of potential floodwaters.

It is important that we continue to head downtown to work, shop, eat and relax.

There are industries who are in the path of the floodwaters, but they are prepared for such, but it is still important that we pray for those workers affected and hope for a quick cleanup and resumption of work.

When it comes to this natural event, this event that our community has become very good at dealing with, it is important that we do not just sit back and wait, but respond.

While it is inevitable that the water will come, it is also inevitable that the water will go back down. What we do at that point will be how we are measured, remembered.