MOUND, La. — Standing water on the runway at Vicksburg-Tallulah Regional Airport has forced officials there to close the runway until the water runs off.

“I’ve never seen it like this,” airport manager Randy Woods said. “We had that rain that put 9.1 inches in the parish and then we had that big rain last week. We had a lot of rainfall in a short period of time. And we’ve got that other rain system that’s supposed to be coming here.

“I’ve been here since 1998, and I can’t remember anything like this. I talked to some guys who have been here longer than me, and they’ve said they’ve never see anything like this.”

The problem, Woods said, is water from the 9-inch rain is still draining, preventing the rain from the latest deluge from April 11. The standing water covers the intersection an access ramp to the runway and covers some parts of the runway.

Presently, the only thing landing at the airport is egrets, terns and a few aquatic birds hoping to catch a meal in the form of a fish, frog or other creature forced from their home by the water.

Woods said he has informed the Federal Aviation Administration, but apparently, the word about the airport hasn’t gotten out.

He said Monday a pilot called about the airport and learned the runway was closed. “He had already filed his flight plan with FAA, and there was no information about us,” Woods said.

“All we’re doing now is waiting for things to drain,” he said. “Once that happens, we’ll be OK. If we don’t get any more rain like we did last week.”