Officials keep eye on Mississippi River; expected to crest at 49.5 feet

Published 7:02 pm Monday, February 26, 2018

Officials with the city, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District and the Mississippi Levee Board are keeping an eye on the Mississippi River as they prepare for the river to go above flood stage in the next few days.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service forecast the Mississippi to crest at 49.5 feet in Vicksburg March 14. It is forecast to be at 43.7 feet Sunday. Flood stage is 43 feet. The record crest for the area was set in 2011, when the river reached 57.1 feet, 14.1 feet above flood stage and nine-tenths of a foot above the Great Flood of 1927.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, the area had a record 2.99-inch rainfall.

And the crest forecast could go up, depending on the amount of rain in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.

National Weather Service hydrologist Marty Pope said forecasters are reviewing their predictions, based on the rain forecast for the areas north around Arkansas and into Tennessee and Ohio.

“The Arkansas River is putting out much more water than was forecast with the last rain event,” he said. “Rain levels across the area were a lot heavier than anticipated.”

He said two systems moving across Arkansas and into the Memphis, Tennessee, area over the next four days are expected to dump another 2 to 4 inches of rain across the area.

“If this rainfall is heavier than expected, we could see an increase in the crest,” Pope said. “The more you get that water in Arkansas, the more it does push things up in the lower end. That’s what we’re concerned about right now; that water gets in here quicker.”

Some of the predicted rainfall is included in the current river forecast, he said; some of it, however, is not.

Locally, city officials are beginning to take precautions and preparing to start installing the gates at openings along the city’s floodwall. North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said work was expected to begin on the South Street floodwall near the proposed Margaritaville Resort, and city crews will also be getting ready to close the gates at Clay and China streets and Levee Street.

He will also check with Police Chief Milton Moore about warning residents in the Ford Subdivision and Kings community about the pending flood. At 44 feet, Ford Subdivision and the Kings community at Pittman Road and Mary’s Alley begin to flood, at 44.6 feet, homes on Williams Street begin to flood, and at 45 feet, Ford and Kings at Williams Street begin to flood.

“We’re going to do what we normally do and try to be prepared for whatever comes our way,” Mayfield said.

Greg Raimondo, public affairs director for the Corps’ Vicksburg District, said Corps officials are staying in touch with the area levee boards and have opened the district’s emergency operations center.

“Depending on what we hear from the levee boards, we may be fighting hot spots — known active areas for sand boils —and working with the city on any closures,” he said. He said the Steele Bayou gates are expected to be closed March 5, based on rainfall already in the area and the predicted rainfalls.

“We’re keeping vigilant.”

Peter Nimrod, chief engineer for the Mississippi Levee Board, said officials are moving ahead with precautions.

“We’ve got a list of things that we know we need to be doing to get our roads on top of the levees ready for our inspectors who are going to be riding the levee,” he said. “We’re getting our equipment, our tools and supplied ready to go in case we have a problem.”

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John